Kian stared blankly at the phone his royal assistant handed him. He didn't want to take the call but knew if he didn't, it would create unintentional drama that he was trying to avoid. He sighed heavily before taking the phone from her. He placed it by his side, on the bed he was sitting on, and put the call on a loudspeaker.
"Greetings grandfather," he breathed. He slowly raised his head, his expression solemn and thoughtful. His gaze drifted off into the distance as he composed his thoughts.
"...."
Silence. The person on the other end of the line didn't utter a single word, only his breathing could be heard and Kian's nonchalant expression showed he wasn't planning on saying anything either. "I have always hated your guts, boy, you seem to always know how to provoke me," the man bemoaned but Kian found his words rather amusing as he sneered silently.
"You left the Kingdom after causing so much drama and you couldn't even call me?" In his husky voice, the man snapped at his grandson, asking, "Have I spoilt you so much that your respect for your king has dwindled?"
He was the first king of Thornheart Kingdom. His son was the current king of their lycan settlement. Kian was no doubt his favorite grandson but one would doubt that because he rarely favored the prince.
Kian was different from his siblings in physical appearance and mental capacity. He was pale as a vampire while all members of the royal family had sun-pecked skins. Even his eye color was different from the rest, they all had blue eyes while his was green.
He was the least muscular royal among his brothers but he was the most handsome which greatly annoyed them. He was also very quite and laid back. His silence was a powerful statement, which often riled his siblings even more than his handsome looks. He was often the target of their jealous taunts and pranks, but he would calmly ignore them. This only made them angrier, and they would often try to provoke him into a fight. However, he refused to be drawn into their games and remained composed.
He was always treated like an outcast and he never complained except on that fateful day his supposed older brother joked about him being a bastard during a royal banquet. He was overcome with rage and he immediately lashed out. He grabbed the nearest object within reach and threw it at his brother. Everyone in the hall watched in shock as it happened.
He left the bouquet immediately without apologizing to his parents or extended family members. His action left the room stunned, and it was clear that nobody had expected him to behave in such a manner. Kian's parents were shocked and disappointed by his behavior. They expected him to show more respect and courtesy. His siblings were also aghast, and the atmosphere in the room was tense and uncomfortable.
Respect was the norm in the royal family. What Kian did to his older brother was considered wrong by all and punishable by the scarred rules of the ancient royal family. However, he might have a case since he was insulted first but Kian did not enjoy royal proceedings so he left without defending his actions. He left the kingdom, embarking on a business trip he had been avoiding.
"I will not apologize to Faris, grandfather," Kian affirmed.
"Who cares about the blasted feud between you and your brother? I just want to know where you are, you stubborn mutt!" Alexander cursed. "This feud between you and Faris has persisted on too long," he said. If Kian could see him, he would have seen the old king shaking his head in disappointment. "What I care about is finding you and ending this nonsense once and for all."
He intentionally called his grandson a mutt to anger him because that was an insult to lycans. However, he tried to annoy the wrong person because the young prince didn't care. Instead, the prince merely smiled, unfazed by his grandfather's attempt to insult him.
"I found my mate," Kian told his grandfather, temporarily shutting him up. "And that is all that matters," he added, standing tall and proud.
"But it is too soon..." King Alexander murmured distantly.
"It may be too soon," Kian agreed, taking a deep breath and nodding, "but I'm certain she's the one."
"She is also human," he added, making the old man choke. "It's unusual for a human to be chosen but I don't have a choice now do I?"
"A human..."King Alexander mumbled halfheartedly, and sighed heavily, a sign of resignation. "That would be a problem."
Kian didn't say anything but he couldn't agree more with his grandfather. It was easy to be mated to a supernatural, everything flowed naturally but when it was with humans the storyline was different. While supernatural love could be filled easily, human relationships demanded greater effort.
They have no mate pull so the attraction must be completely natural. It involved a lot of patience, something Kian was already tired of.
"I may have to stay longer here," Kian told his grandfather. Frankly, he knew the old man would give him conditions if he accepted his demand. However, at this point, any condition was better for him than being forced to return to the king to face his family.
The old king let out a sigh . He too could see what Kian was doing but couldn't stop him even if he wanted to. "You must visit every week," the king declared firmly, his voice resolute despite his tiredness.
Kian refused to reply because he didn't want to see his family for at least a month when everything must have subsided.
"I want to see you this weekend, you must be present, no excuses." Alexander declared and hung up. Kian would have let him hear himself breathe as long as the call continued because he won't reply to something he doesn't consent to. This was something the old king knew.
Kian ran his palms up his face to his hair and groaned. He regretted taking his grandfather's call, because this weekend was their family's special dinner, and everyone must be present. To top off his frustration, he had to attend a silly masked party that the minister was throwing. He knew the politician just wanted to milk his presence dry.
One of the world's greatest monarchies was Thornheart. As Thornheart Kingdom had a scarce supply of natural resources, most countries wanted to be partners with them, but Thornheart Kingdom was quite selective in its alliances.
Kian had already met with the president of this country and although he hadn't promised him anything, the man permitted him to explore the capital city and beyond. Kian needed that consent so his royal team could find the werewolves here and possibly any lycan they could find but it would be harder to find a lycan since they are going extinct.
The young prince drowned himself in the memory of his first meeting with his mate to avoid thinking about his family. However, the evening came faster than he expected.
He threw his legs out of the bed and sluggishly dragged himself to the luxurious bathroom provided for him. He was in the bridal suite, one of the most expensive room in the whole hotel but he got it for free, courtesy of the minister.
He was out of the shower in minutes. He usually loves to stay in it longer, but this time he couldn't. When he came out, he saw that his three-piece suit had been escorted in by an elderly man he permitted to enter the room when he was in the bathroom.
The man occasionally helped him dress, but most of the time he preferred to get ready on his own. This time, however, he allowed the elderly to dress him, recognizing the importance of being presentable at the party. He was pleased with the result and confident as he left the hotel.