The Lycan Prince’s Fairy Tale

“I’m going to die.” Alarick Theodulf Walton, more fondly known as Prince Teddy, heir to the line of lycan kings, blinks a couple of times before sitting up in his bed. He wishes it was nothing but a bad dream, but he has been having visions of the future all his life and he knows how to tell them apart. The certainty of those words hits him like a punch to the gut. The visions never lie when they show up, and this one is crystal clear. He is going to die. Soon. After a night of debauchery surrounded by beautiful, more than willing women, he usually feels incredibly pumped up, his energy recharged by the delightful amorous congress with enchanting creatures from all walks of life. Today, however, he only felt dismay for how he has spent his existence so far. Disappointed with himself for how shallow it has all been. How… empty. To be fair, he was just having fun because he thought he had time. Don't we all think so when we're young? Death is the last thing one contemplates when one is at the peak of one’s youth, and Teddy loves his life. He revels in being who he is and who he's destined to be. So assured he was of his own greatness that he was convinced the world was his oyster and that he had everything under control, mostly because his lycan gift allows him to see into the future and prepare for any and all inconveniences. He is the perfect prince, and he would have been the perfect king. How utterly deluded he was. Not even the ‘Perfect Prince’ has a free pass once his time is up. Regrettably, his future, or rather his lack of it, has already been decided. He will never succeed his father on the lycan throne. Never leave his own mark in this world or carry on his family’s legacy. More of a boy than a man, he will never join the ranks of his ancestors from the line of lycan kings because he will be dead before the month is over, uncrowned. Forever to be known as a royal prince who never became king. The Moon Goddess has chosen his younger sister instead of him to be the next ruler who will usher in the age of lycan queens. His ‘perfect’ life has most likely been judged and found lacking. So just like that, his plans, his dreams, his hopes and aspirations...all of it will fade into oblivion, to make way for someone else’s story. Set aside, like old newspapers, as if the entirety of his life—the inhumane training with Jayden, the never-ending lessons on how to be king, and all the time spent learning to master business, politics, good governance, and social interactions—has been nothing but a pesky advertisement one cannot skip and needs to patiently watch before finally getting to the real video worth watching. Like a fool, he believed himself the protagonist of his own story, only to find out he is but a minor character in somebody else’s book all along. One created to fill a gap and nothing more, doomed to watch others live their happily-ever-afters, forced to step back into the shadows where backstories get shoved into once they've served their purpose. Oh, how the mighty has truly fallen! Desperately, he searches the future for options, a way to divert from his tragic path so he can change the future, but no matter what he decides to do, the endings appear to always be the same. He will die, and Alys will become Queen. His poor, vulnerable, and delicate sister who drops like a fly, writhing in empathy pains, whenever somebody who is hurting happens to be close enough. Alys who has been sheltered all her life, wrapped in a gilded cocoon to make sure she’ll always be safe and shielded from the outside world. Alys, who has no training at all, but knows only to be a pampered princess, will be thrown to the wolves. Literally and figuratively. No matter that they always bicker and pick on each other, Teddy loves his sister something fierce and Alys feels the same way about him, which is why he can’t even bring himself to resent her, for he knows his little sister never wanted to be the heir. She likes her quiet life too much, taking after their parents who prefer privacy over popularity. Peace and quiet over socializing. The opposite of Teddy who enjoys the limelight and took after their grandparents King Wayan and Queen Freya who were both social butterflies. This is only but one of the few reasons why the natural order of succession worked well for the both of them. They each know their places and are both happy with their lot. It’s not that he thinks Alys is not going to be a good queen—of course, she’s more than capable—however, it does make him wonder what he has done to offend the Moon Goddess. Did he miss a memo or something? Why would the introvert princess be chosen over the extrovert prince? What makes her worthier than Teddy to carry on the family torch? Do none of his past efforts or personal struggles matter in the end? He hasn’t even met his fated mate yet! Another flash of a vision hits him, but this one in particular brings him to his knees. Alys in the middle of the wheat fields, weeping alone, begging them to return, her wails heartbreaking as she grieves her brother…and her father. Damn it, their dad! The lycan king will die too! Teddy has been so focused on his own future, panicking about his upcoming demise, that he didn’t realize immediately that for Alys to become queen, it would also mean that King Lakàn would also have to be dead. “Goddamnit—!” He curses, desperately grasping at the seams as his world unravels too quickly before his eyes. It was one thing to know the line of kings is about to be broken—it’s bound to happen sooner or later—but his family being torn apart!? No, no, no, no! Wait, why was Alys alone? What about their mother!? He tries to see Raya’s future and sees several vague endings, none of them acceptable. And his chosen brother, his future King’s Guard Jayden…where is he? Dead!? Attacked by demons…and killed. Teddy rubs his face with both hands, feeling nauseated. Alys is truly going to be alone! This is an absolute nightmare! How can he fix this!? What can he do to save everyone!? There has to be a way. Why even torture him with the visions if there’s nothing he can do about it!? Is it all written in stone already? If so, he needs to find that f*cking stone and smash it—shatter it into tiny million pieces and grind them until they become as fine as the sand they use on hourglasses to tell the time! Wait. Teddy blinks as the thought sinks in. Is that even possible? If it is, he would do it! He would find the gods of fate and convince them to change their minds! But how!? Suddenly, he hears a voice calling his name from outside his window. Frowning, he rushes to open it but sees no one outside, only an empty garden that looks almost otherworldly under the bright light of the silver moon. But then, in a blink of an eye, he sees something he never thought he'd ever see in this lifetime and it makes his jaw drop. “Is that a..?” By the blood of all that is holy, it is! The mythical phoenix, glowing with unearthly light, heading towards the old hedge maze. He must be dreaming! Teddy pinches himself, wincing when it hurts. Nope, he’s wide awake. And probably hallucinating…because such legendary creatures don’t just randomly show up in one’s garden, just like that. Even in the supernatural world, phoenixes and dragons are the rare Pokemons that hardly anyone finds. “No way…” he gasps and without thinking twice, he jumps from the window of his room on the second floor, shifting into his wolf in mid-air so as to not break his legs when he reaches the ground. His wolf lands gracefully on the grassy lawn below, shaking his fur before running at full speed in order to reach the phoenix in time. There must be a reason this rare mythical beast is here, right after he just had a tragic vision. The phoenix is a symbol of rebirth. Could it be a sign that he will be given another chance? Or that he will be reborn? Whatever it means, hope is always the last to die, and he's desperately holding on to it! The mythical bird is quick on its feet, though, and he keeps losing it at every corner, only to see the tail or its glow again whenever he is getting lost. He finally finds it right in the middle of the maze. Staying in his wolf form would be more prudent, but he shifts back to his human form, not wanting the phoenix to feel threatened. He doesn’t really know what to expect will happen when he finally finds the phoenix, but it seems to be waiting for him. And of all the things it could say, he never thought it would be something like this: “Well, look who’s here. A dead man walking.” Its raspy voice echoes inside his head in what seems like a mindlink. Rub it in, why don’t you? He wanted to growl but he gave it a wolfish smile instead. “If you’re the Angel of Death come to fetch me, I’m more than willing to…come with.” To his surprise, the phoenix screeches loudly, nearly shattering his eardrums, before exploding into a sudden burst of blinding flames. Then, finally consumed, its fire dies down and from its ashes, a woman rises.