My Royal Romance

CHAPTER 1

Erlan

I was resting on my back when I heard knocks from my bedroom door. I ignored it and went back to rest. A moment of silence echoed around me. “That’s it,” I said to myself. Stop disturbing me and just leave me alone. I am very exhausted from the training I did today. I close my eyes as I desperately tried to sleep.

But that silence was broken again by louder and harder knocks. I got up from the bed and furiously marched to the door to unlock it. This must be something really important or else I’ll be more pissed off than I am now. I was about to rage my anger to the person outside for disturbing my rest but was not able to do so as I saw my Beta, Johann Curtis, with an unsettled look on his face.

“Johann, what’s the matter?” I asked him while trying to decipher the look on his face.

“Your presence at the main palace is being requested. There is something you need to know and talk to with the emperor and the council,” he replied.

“Woah! You mean me? At the main palace? With the emperor and the council? From what I know, the empress really hates the idea of me around the palace, let alone meeting the emperor and the council. She’ll be really mad the moment she learned about this.”

“I believe she won’t. She already knows about this. As a matter of fact, her highness was the one who requested for this meeting,” he replied without even looking straight to my face.

I felt my blood run down from my face. The empress who clearly doesn’t want my presence around the main palace is actually requesting me to go there. I have a really bad feeling about this. What is this again?

“The empress just proposed to the emperor and the whole council to have you engaged with the only daughter of Alpha Adam Ceasar of Moon River Pack. They are now in the middle of discussing it and we have to get there as fast as we can before they can finally agree to that proposal without even taking your side into consideration.”

I was just so dumbfounded upon hearing this. Being married is the last thing in my list. My main concern and priority right now is securing the title of the crown prince. I can’t imagine myself getting married before that happen, let alone my soon to be bride is someone chosen by the empress who on the other hand is hindering me from becoming the crown prince. Well, whatever it is, I am a hundred per cent that this is an evil scheme of the empress. I need to stop them. I won’t let the empress and that daughter of an alpha destroy me and all of my plans.

~~~

I am Prince Erlan McKinley.

My father, the emperor and alpha king of the whole kingdom of wolves, Emperor Magnus McKinley, married Lady Evaline Ardolf from the New Moon Pack and made her his luna. Evaline is the daughter of Alpha Philip Ardolf, a leader of a very strong, wealthy, and large pack within the kingdom. My father believed that it is a very good and strategic decision to marry a lady who has an alpha blood and who comes from a very prominent pack, so he married her despite the fact that they were not the mates that the moon goddess has created for each other. Indeed, it gave him a huge advantage when taking the throne. Later on, he was crowned as the emperor and alpha king. Not too long after taking the throne, he met my mother who was eventually his mate. My father clearly knew that he already has a luna and empress but the mate bond between him and my mother was so strong that he was not able to deny and resist it. After some twists and turns, they got pregnant with me. Because of some royal rules, the emperor cannot have two lunas but he also has to recognize me as his son and heir to the throne as it is deemed to be my royal right. This made my mother the royal concubine and me the bastard prince. Of course, the empress Evaline was very angry.

Two years later, the empress gave birth to my brother, Prince Jonah McKinley. Evaline’s loathing of me doubled after his birth. She believes that her son has the only right to the title of being an heir and I am just a thief swarming around her son and the throne.

~~~

This engagement thing really shocked me. I quickly change into some befitting clothes of mine and got ready to leave. Johann and I are now on our way out of my chamber.

“How the hell I didn’t know about this? This is so sudden,” I asked Johann.

“From what I’ve heard, the empress had visited some members of the council privately and proposed the engagement. It was only today that the rest of the council heard of this proposal and now they want you there to finalize the decision about this engagement,” he replied.

“I don’t get it. Why would the empress want me to get married all of a sudden and why it has to be the daughter of the Moon River Pack?”

“From what she said to the council, the engagement is a way to help the marginalized pack. As you know, the Moon River Pack is the furthest pack at the west and is usually under the attacks of the ogres. The ogres would always come to steal and kill and that made the pack weak and poor.”

“And now, what do I have to do with it? Why do I need to marry the alpha’s daughter?” I was seething mad right now. “Why don’t they just send skilled warriors to patrol the borders and help protect the pack from the attack? Why don’t they just provide them money and reinforcements? Why am I getting involved?”

“That is something we don’t know. I have a bad feeling that the empress is scheming this against you. Maybe she was trying to get you tied to a weak and poor bride with no big reputation and connection to prevent you from forming alliance with large and strong pack through marriage.” These words from Johann ticked me off. Everything started to make sense. The empress is really on a different level on preventing me from taking the throne.

We are now in the car on our way to the main palace. My chamber is fifteen minute drive from the main palace and I am getting impatient. I need to get to the main palace as fast as I can and immediately solve this before they could finally agree to the proposal.

After fifteen minutes, we are now at the main palace. Johann and I are both taking big strides and in no time we already reached the court where the meeting is being held. I am very impatient and mad that I skipped being courteous and just slammed the door without even knocking and announcing my arrival. I know it is rude but so is engaging me to a marriage that I don’t even want.

Everyone is silent and the only noise inside the court is the noise of our steps. The emperor is sitting at the middle of the platform, the empress right beside him, and the rest of the council on both long tables, left and right, just below the platform. Upon reaching the center of the room, I bowed down before my father and gave my greeting to him and the rest of the council, leaving out the empress.

“Greetings to you, your highness and to the council. As per your request, I am here for a very important meeting with you,” I greeted them with no enthusiasm at all. Johann is right beside me with his head down as well as we bowed down.

“Enough with the greetings, Prince Erlan,” replied the Empress Evaline whom I didn’t include in my greetings. “We are now to proceed on discussing your future marriage with Anne Ceasar of the Moon River Pack.”

“I have already heard of this engagement but I think this is so sudden and irrational. I am afraid I can’t participate in this engagement. I don’t even have a plan on marrying someone who is not my mate.” I was now looking straight to my father, waiting for what he has to say. Even though he’s the emperor and alpha king, he is still my father and that fact makes me no scared of him.

“This proposal of engagement was actually brought up by the empress and some members of the council. We are here to discuss the motive behind this proposal. And you don’t have to worry. We will see if this actually makes any sense and if not, we will not be taking you into this marriage without your consent. But also bear in mind that we will be making the decision that is best for our land and our people and as a prince and candidate to the throne, you need to take part of this,” my father said with a very neutral tone yet with a hint of concern in his face.

Silence echoed inside the court until the leader of the council, Lord Gerald Hayes, broke it by clearing his throat. I turn my face to him then he started to talk about the matter.

“As you know, the Moon River Pack located near the border line dividing our land from the land of the ogres has always been under attacks. Ogres would always come and disturb the pack, killing pack members and stealing their assets. Recently, more numbers of attacks has been reported making the pack weak and poor. The pack is now struggling and we believe that this marriage will help the marginalized pack in terms of strength and wealth,” said the leader of the council.

“If I may ask,” Johann butting in, “what is the marriage for specifically? From what I can see, we can help the pack without the need of marriage. Just send some warriors and financial support to the pack and I think they’re good.”

“I wish that would be enough.” Lord Gerald said with an evidence of let down in his face. “But it is my deep sorrow to share the news of the passing of the Moon River Pack’s alpha, Alpha Adam Ceasar. It was just yesterday when we received the report saying the alpha, his luna, and his beta were killed from the raid of ogres the other day and with the gamma still missing. Now the pack was left unprotected without a leader.”

“This is very sad news, Lord Gerald. But I still don’t get the point. This still does not make any sense. Please get to the point.” I am now getting antsy.

“There is no second in command left at the pack. We have sent reinforcement but that is not enough for the long run. We need to provide them a leader but we cannot just put anybody to that position. The late alpha has an only child, Lady Anne Ceasar, but cannot lead the pack because she is just seventeen years old and without a wolf yet. She’s still young and too weak to take the position of an alpha.” I know there is more to say but he stopped talking and instead, he looked at the empress and nodded as if telling her she can now propose what she has in her mind.

“Taking into consideration the situation of the grieving pack, we cannot just place a new leadership in the pack. So I was just thinking of keeping Lady Anne the leader of the pack as luna and find her a suitable alpha. And I believe that Prince Erlan is the best pick,” the empress finished with a grin in her face. I can see most of the members of the council nodding in agreement on what she just said.

“I agree with what the empress has said,” coming from one member of the council. “If this is to happen, the prince will have to move to the west where the most weak and poor packs are located. We expect the prince to strengthen and lead the west. In this manner, strength and wealth among the kingdom will somehow even out and marginalized packs will not be left behind, as a royal will be soon settling down in the west.”

“Thank you for understanding. That’s actually my point,” said the empress who is now grinning non-stop. “And of course, I believe that Prince Erlan understands this too. As the first prince and next in line to the throne, surely he cares for his people. He is willing to help and protect his people, even if marriage is what it would take. Right, Prince Erlan?”

From being uneasy, the wolf inside me is now seething mad and so am I. I cannot believe this people. Just the thought of me marrying someone I don’t even know against my will is already unimaginable. What more is the thought of me moving out of the capital to settle in a very remote pack? All my life, I have been preparing myself to take the throne. And to fight for the throne, I need to be here in the capital. My household, my chamber, my people, and all the resources I need are here. The throne is here in the capital and moving out just means getting far from it.

I look up to my father and see if he has something to say to save me from this, but all I got is nothing. I tried to find something to rebut the proposal but I just can’t think coherently as my anger filled me. I tried to look at Johann to see if he can help me. Knowing how competent as a beta Johann is, I know he will come up with something.

“But to think of it, isn’t this a bit unfair for the prince. This can be unfair for the grieving Lady Anne too. Her father and mother just died and you are all being hasty to engage her and make her take the responsibility of being a luna. You said that she’s just seventeen years old and without a wolf. How can we know she’s ready for this?” Johann rebutted.

“We all know this could be unfair and hasty but the prince and the lady are taking no ordinary positions. They are held responsible for their people,” the empress replied. “And we are not going to do this against their will. We are here to make them informed and of course, get their consent. Prince Erlan is not the only one to consider here that’s why we also summoned Anne Ceasar.” She then looked at her assistant and continued “Now let’s get Lady Anne’s presence in this court and see what she has to say.” Her assistant went out of the court to bring the lady.

The empress really prepared for this. She even got that girl here. I am sure that the empress took this situation to her advantage and maybe got that girl to work with her. They must be conspiring against me. She must be the empress’ pawn too.

Waiting for the lady to come here and speak might make thing worse. I have to stop it here. I cannot take this any further and I just let my frustration out.

“I’m afraid I cannot accept this. As a prince, I know I have the responsibility to protect my people, but I cannot just be forced to do things, specially something that is very personal to me.” I know I am ready to speak up for myself. I need to do this. “What about our mates? We are not sure if Anne’s mate found her already. I also haven’t found my mate yet and I am not planning on marrying someone who’s not my mate. And in any case that I would be marrying someone who is not my mate, my future princess should be someone of my preference. I believe that it is an insult to a prince like me to have me engaged with someone who is from a weak and poor pack, someone far from excellence. I cannot just take a weakling orphan as my bride. As a prince, I think I deserve a lady who is competent, capable, and someone with great background. I need a lady of my preference and I won’t be taking less than that.”

I confidently take my stand and I am happy with that. I stood there waiting for their response and then, in just all of a sudden, the most enticing smell hits my nose. It’s the strongest yet calming rosey scent that I have ever smelt.

“Mate,” I heard my wolf said. He is now purring inside and is very excited. In just a second, I found myself smiling and I turned around to find whom does this captivating scent belongs to. My smile faded and I stood there frozen. Who I saw is a girl standing beside the empress’ assistant, looking down the floor, fidgeting the fabric of her dress, with a very sad look in her face, and close to crying.

How long has she been standing there? How much did she hear from what I’ve said? At this moment, I knew I messed up.