The Prince and His Princess

Echoes of loss

Oscar’s POV

The palace was a lovely prison, but a prison it was still. We had been spared no luxury, gourmet meals of our choosing were delivered to our room at the touch of a button. Whilst we were free to make use of the various amenities, socialising was frowned upon until we were publicly pardoned. I had secured authorisation to visit my father on the promise that we would not leave my father’s estate.

One of the palace cars drove us the couple of hours to my childhood home as Henry rested on my shoulder. We had left early and Henry was not much of a morning person, I smirked as I stroked his short dark hair.

“Tell me about your father.” Henry said sleepily.

“He’s a good man for the most part, he was Alpha of the Silverpaw pack until they merged with Wildridge pack. I should warn you first.” I said pausing to think, I needed to word what I had to say next carefully as not to scare Henry. “My mother died when I was twelve, father was never the same after that. For the most part he is fine, you couldn’t tell…” I trailed off unsure of how much detail I should go into.

“He’ll be happy you’re home.” Henry said reaching up to stroke my chin and I looked down smiling happily at him.

As we pulled up to my childhood home Henry gasped.

“It’s charming!” He exclaimed with his face glued to the window.

The place hadn’t changed in the least, and sure it might seem impressive by human standards but this was little more than a fancy farm house. Whilst the palace gardens were full of perfectly manicured flowers, my fathers house had rows of vegetables growing as live stock roamed around freely. The place was old, at least four hundred years. Home to many De Silva generations had lived here, I was sure at one point it had been impressive and modern but now it was just outdated and dilapidated.

“Son!” Father announced happily from the door. “It’s great to see you after all these years.”

“Thank you father, good to finally be free.” I said walking up to him and hugging him.

“Is this who I think it is?” Father said smiling, Henry had hung back at the car I knew he was nervous. Henry’s only experience of family is the one that rejected him.

“It is my pleasure to introduce you to my mate, Henry Miller.” I walked back to the car, grabbing our bags in one hand and Henry’s hand with the other. Pulling him to the house to meet my father who’s smile was bigger than I ever thought possible. Father put his hands on Henry’s shoulders immediately bringing him in for a bone crushing hug, Henry yelped slightly.

“Welcome to the family.” Father said as a his eyes starting looking glassy.

“Dad he’s human you have to be more careful.” I said rolling my eyes as everyone laughed.

“I just never thought this day would come.” He said cupping Henry’s face and looking him over. “Your mother would have been so proud son.”

“Thanks dad.” I said, surprised he would bring up mum so easily.

“Now come in, Hilda has made us a morning tea.” Dad said ushering us inside.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you sir.” Henry said as we sat down at the kitchen table that was loaded with fresh bread rolls, relishes and cheeses. All home made by farm produce, it was the food I grew up on.

“None of that sir stuff around here, my name is Orin but hopefully one day you might feel comfortable enough to call me dad as well.” Dad said as he buttered up a roll. Henry looked at me smiling and I could feel his happiness multiplying through the mate bond. He had been worried about meeting my father, even though I told him he had nothing to worry about and now he could see it for himself.

We enjoyed our morning tea in happy company, afterwards father was tired and retired to his room whilst I gave Henry a tour of the place. The house was two levels, downstairs taken up with kitchen, dining room, formal lounge, fathers office and a few rooms for the staff. The upstairs held the family bedrooms, six in total all remained empty bar one.

“Mother had always wanted a large family, unfortunately she only got me.” I said as we slowly walked hand in hand through the field.

“Dad was Alpha of the Silverpaw pack, and Mum was the Luna. We were a small pack, mainly farming and agriculture.”

“Was the Alpha?” Henry asked looking up at me curiously.

“It takes a lot to maintain a pack, you need to have either a lot of money to support the people or some sort of industry to keep people employed. We had neither, and after the hospital closed father conceded and merged with the Wildridge pack.” I said as I waved hello to Bernie the old farm hand dad kept employed. Henry climbed up on one of the wooden fence, sitting on the top so we were face to face.

“So you would have been Alpha?” Henry said flirting.

“I guess so, but then you would have been my Luna.” I said waggling my eyes at Henry as my finger tips traced his thighs.

“Hey! Why can’t I be alpha as well?” Henry said putting his arms around my neck smiling.

“You can only be born an alpha, the alpha’s mate is the luna.” I said nuzzling my face into his neck, his scent filled me as I planted light kisses down his neck. Henry sighed happily as I pressing my body into his. The loud rumble of farming equipment roaring to life made Henry jump, I laughed as the tractor putted through the field.

“Come on alpha, show me to our room.” Henry said jumping down and dusting off, I lead our back to the farm house and to my childhood bedroom. There was no embarrassing posters on the walls or patterned sheets, it could have been anyone’s bedroom. The only thing that gave it away was a small framed picture on my bedside table of my mum and me. Henry picked it up smiling.

“Is that her?” He asked, I nodded. “She’s beautiful.”

She really was, her long braided hair fell down her shoulders as her deep skin contrasted strikingly with her green eyes and high cheek bones. I had gotten my fathers dark brown eyes, but I had my mothers skin tone. I took the picture frame from Henry, placing it back on the bedside table. Henry sat perched on my bed and a wicked thought filled me, the nights I used to lay in this bed and dream that one day my mate would be here with me. Now he was real and better than I could have ever imagined, I stalked around the room as if he were my prey just a small animal alone in the woods.

“What are you doing here little witch?” I said catching my reflection in the mirror, I could see my eyes flickering from dark brown to gold.

“The big bad wolf lead me here.” Henry said smirking.

“Ohhhh I’m a big bad wolf am I?” I said pouncing on Henry, pushing him back into the mattress as our lips collided. His hands grabbed at my shirt pulling me into him as our tongues fought each other for dominance.

“Do you think maybe…” Henry trailed off and I knew where he was going, I could feel his arousal pressing into me.

“If we can be quiet.” I said pulling Henry’s shirt over his head as he unbuckled my belt.

After a quick shower we snuck back downstairs, dad was sitting on the couch reading a book as if nothing were amiss. Henry sat down in an armchair and pulled out his phone, whilst I flicked through the newspaper pretending to read it. I kept stealing glances at Henry, winking at him making him blush.

“What is that woman doing!” Dad jumped up suddenly. “I told her to leave the rose bushes.” He yelled taking off into the front yard to argue with one of the groundskeepers.

“How many people work here?” Henry asked, he had given up on his phone.

“There is a cook, plus two people who work part time helping Bernie with the farming. Dad’s out there scolding Amy right now.” I said waving through the window, Amy waved back happily. “Then there’s a housekeeper and a carer as well.”

“Sorry if this seems rude, but who pays for all this your father doesn’t seem wealthy.” Henry asked shyly. I knew asking people about money was always hard but this wasn’t a topic I felt like I needed to keep from Henry.

“He doesn’t, I cover the staff’s wages and any expenses from the estate.” I replied shrugging, I had been sending money home as soon as I started earning.

“We made you buy that house.” Henry said sadly looking out the window.

“How many times have I told you not to worry about money. Dad’s covered for at least the next five years, plus we are going to earn a steady income renting out both of our houses.” I said stroking the worried look out of Henry’s eyes.

“Moira said she made a pretty penny selling potions in Aruyios, maybe I should start.” Henry said smiling.

“If you want to start a business then you should go for it, but not because you feel forced I promise you we are far from destitute.” I said kissing a smiling Henry on the forehead.

The rest of the day passed pretty quickly, Henry spent time in the kitchens learning from the old cook. Whilst I caught up with dad, telling him the circumstances of my freedom. He was suitably impressed with my royal connections. I didn’t want to tell him that my only connections to royalty was a human girl that would do anything to get away from said connections.

After dinner (one in which dad had imbibed a few too many wines), I helped my slurring father upstairs and into his bedroom. The carer was running late again, the old cook had been with the family long before my mother passed and fed updates back to me. I knew if this one didn’t start showing up on time I was going to have to find another person for the role.

“It was your fault you know.” Dad spat at me as he rumbled through his bedside table.

“What was.” I said bored, I wanted to leave, but someone had to make sure he would be ok.

“The reason your mothers dead!” He said throwing an empty bottle at me, it ducked as the thing smashed against the wall. “Now I’m stuck here alone, with no mate, no pack and for what?”

“Mum dying wasn’t my fault, I was just a kid.” I said lowly as he brought up the painful memories.

“Yeah yeah yeah…” Dad said as he found a half empty bottle of wine, draining it straight away.

“You closed the hospital, she would have survived if we had any kind of doctors to help her.” I said, slamming the door behind me. That f*****g old bastard, part of the reason I left him to rot in the first place.

“You’re late.” I growled at the carer who ran up the stairs.

“I know I’m sorry, I’ll take it from here.” She said ducking into his bedroom, whilst I headed downstairs to find Henry. Still perched in the arm chair, this time with a worried look on his face. I sighed laying down on the couch.

“What’s going on Oscar?” Henry asked softly. “Why is your dad saying all those things?”

“It’s complicated.” I said.

“Try me.” Henry said, I sat up. He had to find out sometime.

“I was a kid, playing with the other local kids. Just running around but we had gone a little further than we thought, veered onto another packs territory. Their soldiers were circling us, suspicious of our trespassing. I don’t know why, we were just a bunch of kids. But one of the wolves was particularly I dunno.. Angry or violent, he lunged at me biting my forearm. Mum had heard our screams, she shifted immediately fighting off the soldiers and we ran for our lives.”

I paused taking a few steadying breaths. I never liked to talk about this day, but I owed it to Henry to tell him. “When we looked back she was following us slowly, she couldn’t walk just pulling herself along by her front paws and whimpering.”

I could feel the tears start to pool in my eyes.

“We ran as fast as we could to get dad, hoping that he could do something, but she had lost too much blood. Dad tried his best loading us both in the car but it didn’t matter, we were too remote. She died in the backseat while I was stroking her hair, begging her to be ok.” I was crying now, I couldn’t stop it. The years of pushing the memories away had all come crashing back. I closed my eyes and I was right back in that back seat.

**************

Flashback

“Boy talk to your mother! Keep her awake!” Father yelled as he stepped on the gas.

“Mummy, please be ok. I’m sorry ok I’ll never wander again.” I cried trembling.

“Oscar it’s ok, it’s going to be ok you’re safe.” Mum said weakly as her eyes fluttered.

“No Mummy you’re not allowed to sleep, please don’t fall asleep!” I screamed as stroked her face trying to keep her awake. The blood from my arm was smearing everywhere and I pulled away quickly.

“Dammit Maya just hold on please we need you.” Dad said frantically from the front seat.

“I love you.” Mum whispered as she closed her eyes for the last time. My chest hurt and I couldn’t stop crying, dad pulled over to check on us both with tears in his eyes he kissed her on the cheek. Getting back in the front seat he turned the car around and drove us back to the house, not looking at me again.

*****************

“Hey, it’s ok it wasn’t your fault.” Henry said hugging me tightly.

“I know that now.” I said sadly as I cleaned myself up. “Dad means well, he just doesn’t cope at night.” I said as the sound of broken glass came from upstairs.

We sat on the couch holding each other, Henry’s touch finally helping me find the peace I never knew I needed.