I flinched slightly as my shirt rubbed against my tender chest. I-I can't believe he messed up my chest so badly! That potion might have helped, but I didn't want to keep drinking it. Not being able to feel any pain was a bit dangerous. I ended up cutting my finger and didn't notice until Ronak pointed out the blood running down my arm. Oops.
"My family managed to get Lord Ronak a rare type of herb usually only grown in the northern part of the continent!"
"I believe my family is going to give Lord Ronak one of our prized stallions. Father doesn't want to part with it, but what can one do?"
It was far too early in the morning to be hearing this much chatter about that big meanie. I plopped down at the table for breakfast and furrowed my brows. "What's everyone talking about?"
"Oh! We're just discussing what birthday gifts our families have prepared for Lord Ronak's birthday." Quinn said with a smile. My hand froze in the air, and I nervously stared at my crepes. B-birthday present… It never crossed my mind that I'd need to prepare a gift… "Micha! Where did you get that hair clip? It's rather pretty a-and what happened to your neck?"
"Ah…" My fingers slightly rubbed against the bandages lining my neck, and I slightly blushed. Ronak left a ton of bite marks, and it's not like I could run around with them visible, so I elected to bandage them. "I had a bit of an allergic reaction to an herb the other day. I didn't want anyone to see the rash and freak out…." I hate lying… Some of the girls looked a little concerned, but my hand wandered up to the clip in my hair. I had elected to wear the simple gold one today, since it was the first one Ronak gave me. "A-and the hair clip was a gift…" The girls around me started going a bit crazy, which only made me panic. Gosh, I shouldn't have said that.
"Who's it from?!" Quinn asked with wide eyes.
"M-my parents." I managed to lie before accidentally blurting out Ronak's name.
"How lovely! It looks great in your hair."
"Th-thanks…" I looked down the table to Terra, who was staring at me suspiciously, and I gave her a desperate look. "Terra… Would you like to go into town with me? I-I need to purchase… ink before class tomorrow. I forgot that I'm almost out, and I don't particularly want to go alone."
She raised her eyebrow slightly, probably seeing through my terrible lie, but she set her fork down and daintily wiped her mouth. "I would love to go with you, Micha. Today after classes?" You're the best, Terra!
"I'll go too!" Quinn added excitedly. No!
"I need to go into town as well!" Another girl added. No, no, no! You're not coming with us! I gave Terra a frantic look, and the corner of her lips curled up into a knowing smile.
She sat up straight and put on a polite smile. "I'm sorry, girls, but Micha and I aren't making any additional stops, so I doubt you'll want to come just to look at ink. I have a test to study for and don't want to spend all afternoon in town." Praise the heavens! Terra was such an amazing friend. Her simple declaration took all the excitement from the girls. A few of them grumbled, but I didn't care; there was no way I was bringing them along.
On the way out of the dining hall, Terra pulled me aside out of earshot of others. "You forgot a gift, didn't you?"
"Y-yeah…"
"I can't believe you haven't prepared something before now…" Hey… I barely got to know the guy over the course of the last few weeks. It's not my fault his birthday is so soon!
"What do I even get him?"
"That's a hard one… You'll have to put your brain to good use during class." Wh-what? That's all the help she's going to give me?! "I'll see you after classes!" Terra turned to leave, and I was left to panic.
What do you even buy someone like him? He has tons of money. I offered to pay for the window I broke, and he scoffed in my face. His exact words were, "I've been thinking of buying another estate up north, and you're worried about the stupid price of a window?" So mean… That window wasn't cheap either. I saw the bill for its repair on his desk and almost choked on the slice of cake I was eating. Was it gilded or something?! Why were there so many zeros?!
How was my gift supposed to compare to all the fancy ones that everyone else is going to be showing up with? I don't have the money, power, or influence to get him something rare or exotic. I-I can barely afford the stuff at the trade district. I know he liked the bracelet I purchased for him because he hasn't taken it off, but… I wanted to get him something nicer than that…
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"Why have you been a bundle of nerves all day?" Ronak asked as I entered my dorm. You'd think he lived here and had a key the way he loafed around on my bed… The big meanie was squishing my kitty stuffed animal again. Why must he always bully my stuffies?!
"Hey, don't rip him!" I wandered over and tried to steal back my stuffy, but Ronak pulled it away from me.
"I'm not going to rip him. I'm just admiring its ugly face."
"Hey! It's not ugly!" I popped my kitty stuffed animal out of his hands and put it into my storage with a huff. Ronak had different plans, though; he grabbed my waist and pulled me down into the bed with him. Stop rubbing your head on my stomach! "I need to get changed. I'm going into town with Terra!" In other words, let go!
"You didn't answer my question."
"I-it's nothing… I just need to buy something in town…"
"Can you not afford it?" Huh?
"I-it's fine! Don't worry about it! Are you going to let me go so I can get changed?"
"Mmm, but you're so soft and squishy. I could easily fall asleep with my head on your stomach. I can even hear all the chocolate swirling around in you." I-I didn't eat that much chocolate! I only ate six truffles and a pudding! "Fine, I guess if you're going with Terra, it should be fine." Ronak released me, but dragged my pillow over to himself as a replacement. Was he… not going to leave?
"D-don't you have work to do?"
"Probably, work is never-ending. Are you trying to get rid of me?" His eyes narrowed slightly, and he did a little stretch as if making himself even more comfortable.
"No…" Maybe.
"Too bad. I'll probably be late tonight, so the more I make your bed stink, the happier you'll be." He teasingly rubbed his shoulders into my bed with a smug smirk. H-he wasn't wrong… I've gotten to the point that I can't sleep unless he's near. I even wake up in the middle of the night when he leaves the bed.
"What are you going to be busy with?"
"Mmm, it's a stupid meeting with the emperor. For planning my birthday, he's been requiring an unnecessary amount of input." Huh, I didn't take Ronak to be the type to care. I got off the bed and started pulling clothes from my wardrobe. These should work. I don't think Terra's seen this outfit before. She'll be surprised. "You should wear the white flower clip with that one," Ronak muttered as he watched me.
"Oh yeah? I guess it would match rather well. I didn't realize you had such an eye for fashion."
"Someone has to pick out my clothes, and I sure as hell won't let the designers dress me in whatever. Made that mistake once and never again." Pft, it sounded like there was an interesting story to be heard, but I didn't have time. Terra would be knocking on my door any moment, and I wasn't changed. "Alright, I'll see you later tonight." Ronak stood and pulled me in for a quick kiss before disappearing down into the ground. He was so quick and sneaky with his kisses! Like it was his goal to steal them from my unsuspecting lips.
A knock on my door sent me skyrocketing into the air. "Micha, are you ready?"
"A-almost!"
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"Did you come up with any ideas?" I was wondering when she'd ask me that dreaded question.
"No…"
"It's okay. Your gift doesn't need to be fancy. I'm sure he'd like anything his omega gives him." Terra was trying to be polite, but we both knew I didn't have money for much. "Have you thought about giving him something thoughtful?"
"I… don't have any typical omega skills." My voice dropped to an embarrassed whisper. I never took any omega-targeted classes here because I didn't think it mattered, and it's not like I had any basic skills to build upon. Once my magic manifested, my parents focused on having me learn the skills required to heal others. I didn't know how to sew, bake, or do anything else girly. I-I guess the idea of me getting married never crossed my parents' minds, or if it did, they probably thought I would meet someone while working at the palace… A knot formed in my stomach as I thought about my drawer of letters from my parents that I had been avoiding.
Terra looked a bit concerned. My lack of skills took all handicrafts off the table. My only skills were healing and making potions, which didn't help my predicament. "Have you noticed anything he needs?"
"Social skills," I grumbled, which caused Terra to burst into giggles. I was only partially joking. Ronak had been gentler and a bit kinder with me, but he really did enjoy talking with his fists. I heard he sent two people to the infirmary today. Not that he cared. He was a future duke with powerful uncles; the idea of consequences probably didn't exist in his mind. "I don't know! That's why I'm panicking!"
"I'm sure we'll find something that sparks an idea, don't worry." Terra gently patted my shoulder with a kind smile.
We made it to the nobles' shopping district, and it always surprised me how calm and peaceful this place was compared to the trading district. No one was rushing about or shouting anywhere along the entire street; honestly, it was a bit strange. I just hope we don't run into Quinn or any of the other girls. They didn't need to know that we lied to their faces.
Terra clapped her hands together, scaring me half to death. "What if we try finding him something that reminds him of your pheromones?"
"I guess that would work. He does like sniffing the top of my head." A tingle ran through my scalp as I thought about his nose sniffing around like a curious animal.
"He sniffs your head?" Terra asked as she covered her mouth and slightly giggled.
"Yeah." My hands came up and pressed down on the spot that was tickling like crazy. Gah! It was like he was actively sniffing my head right now!
"That's oddly cute. Then maybe a pheromone gift will be best."
"But I smell like spiced vanilla… That's going to be impossible to find."
"You never know. We might find something perfect!" I appreciated her optimism, but I had my doubts. As we toured around shops, I felt myself becoming a bit more disappointed by the moment. A major problem with getting something pheromone-based was my pheromones themself. I smelled like a nice cup of spiced vanilla tea, but vanilla looked like a long brown stick and spiced tea was, well, tea… Almost all other omegas had floral scents, so any of the pheromone-based gifts we found usually involved flowers.
Ignoring the idea of getting him something pheromone-based didn't help either. All the cuff links I looked at were either fruit or flowers. We did manage to find some cuff links that had vanilla flowers, but it just didn't feel right because vanilla flowers don't even smell like vanilla. Handkerchiefs felt like an odd thing to give because I didn't embroider anything on them myself. He didn't seem to wear jewelry on a daily basis, besides the bracelet I gave him. Not that I could afford anything in the noble district… I couldn't see Ronak wearing a tan or yellow scarf; that would seem odd. Personal stationery was out of the question; I could barely afford one notebook with the ridiculous capital inflation, much less something personalized. Ronak didn't seem to read much besides work documents, so getting him a book felt odd. In other words, I was doing a terrible job finding him a gift.
"Gosh, Micha. I thought for sure we'd find something, but we're not having any luck." Terra looked disappointed, too. She went in feeling so positive, but there wasn't even anything that she spotted that would have been good. She did offer to help pay for something outside of my budget, but that felt wrong. The gift should come from me.
"What am I going to do?!" I wanted to burst into tears. How could one man be so difficult to shop for?! It didn't help that I didn't know him super well. Yeah, we'd been getting to know one another, but I spent more time watching him do paperwork than actually talking to him. "I'm a bad omega." I sniffled.
"No, you're not. You still have time. Maybe an idea will come to you." Terra gently patted my back as we walked back to the campus. I couldn't help but feel disheartened. We went to a lot of stores, and I still came back empty-handed.
The only idea I had, which was genuinely horrifying and I'm scared that it even crossed my mind, was when we walked past a, ahem, clothing store. Just the idea of wearing something scandalous for Ronak mortified me. I-I mean, he really did like my slinky robe, but I-I couldn't even glance in the store's direction without blushing. Thankfully, Terra didn't notice when it happened.
"Why are you on the verge of tears?" I jumped sideways and grabbed onto Terra, who also jumped in surprise, as Ronak materialized next to me from his red goop. W-was he trying to give me a heart attack?! Why would he appear out of nowhere?!
I let out a loud gasp and released my death grip on Terra. "Stop appearing next to me out of the blue! Make yourself seen or at least make a sound! There are better options besides scaring me to death!" I snapped.
Terra's eyes went wide as Ronak's rich laughter filled the air. It wasn't frightening or intimidating laughter; it was the kind that I couldn't get enough of. I wanted to cuddle up to him and listen to his laughter all day. Part of me was almost jealous that Terra was listening to it. "I will attempt to stop scaring you." His pleased smile said otherwise, which was concerning. He liked scaring me, didn't he?
Ronak took a step towards me, and I took a step back, bumping into Terra. "Wh-what are you doing here? There are people around!" I grabbed Terra's hand and wiggled it around to display the fact that there was another human in our presence.
"But she knows, what does it matter?" Ronak glanced over at Terra, who finally came to her senses, pulled her hand away from me, and politely bowed.
"Greeting, Lord Ronak. Sorry for my slow greeting, I was simply surprised to see you here." She didn't need to act so formal with him… I've never once bowed or even used his title…
"I've told you that you don't need to be so formal at the academy." He said dryly. He might have been talking to her, but his attention was fully on me. "Thanks for taking care of this worried, nervous, and panicky omega of mine for the last few hours." Ronak dragged me over to him, where he patted my head each time he described one of the feelings that had been haunting me all day. Y-you don't need to share!
"You're making me sound like a bad friend! I haven't been that bad… Ack!" Ronak bent down and sniffed the top of my head before letting out a soft grunt.
"I never said that. You've just been a torrent of emotions since you left your dorm." H-he wasn't wrong. I had been tense all day, but the moment we started having no success in the shops, my nerves skyrocketed.
Terra slightly giggled and covered her mouth with a hand. "Micha hasn't been a bother. I actually prefer shopping with him over other omegas anyway. He's far more likely to give an honest opinion than a fake one, and the fake ones are easy to identify." Gah! I-I know I'm bad at lying, but you didn't need to say that. She smiled and raised the bag of new hair accessories she purchased while we were out.
"I wish he'd be more honest with me. He has a tendency to give short answers instead of speaking the entire truth." Ronak pulled my chin up so I was forced to look into his eyes. Gah! Too close! Terra's right there! "I just wanted to make sure everything was fine. You were on the verge of tears." He gently rubbed the sides of my eyes with his thumbs, but he didn't need to be concerned; I was so embarrassed that any chance of tears had quickly dried up. "I'll be back later. Try to behave for your friend." I thought for sure he'd pull me in for a kiss, but thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he patted my head again and melted down into his gross red goo.
A weird silence fell between me and Terra, but eventually Terra cleared her throat. "That's an, umm, interesting travel spell." Terra looked away uncomfortably as her face scrunched up.
"Admit it, it's gross to watch him melt into goo, isn't it?" She didn't need to be nice just because he was my alpha.
"It's a bit unsightly…" She glanced back at me, and a concerning sparkle lit up in her eyes. "He seems rather enamored. He even came all this way to check on you."
My face didn't even have a chance to calm down from Ronak embarrassing me, and now Terra clearly was going to ask me all sorts of things. "Y-yeah a bit…" My body was still sore and tender from his enamorment.
"He always seems reserved, to think that he could express such emotions… The girls at the academy had better not witness that. They'll go feral." Feral was the perfect term. I'll have girls going nuts that he picked me and not them. "Is he… able to sense your emotions or something?"
"It's so embarrassing! He can sense all of my emotions! It's the worst!" It was like I couldn't hide anything from him. I was an open book, and Ronak was able to translate everything into readable text.
"I think it's rather romantic…"
"It's definitely not romantic." Was Terra starstruck or something? She better not be fantasizing about him… I don't know how I'd feel about that if she did.
"You're right. He does like sniffing your head." Terra let out a little snicker and covered her mouth. "It was really cute, he looked like he was smelling the best thing on the planet."
"P-please stop… You're embarrassing me!" I already knew he liked it. I didn't need her pointing out how cute he looked while doing it! Gah!
Terra giggled again and grinned. "Who would have thought? You two are such a weird pairing. Like fire and ice." Oh, I'm aware. I'm not sure how we ended up liking each other either, though it was probably because of the bond mark. I doubt it would have happened naturally… We were so different from one another, and we still had a long way to go before things got serious…
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Ronak
I scooted the box from one side of my desk to another. Despite putting a document in front of me, my eyes drifted over to the box. Shit, why was I nervous? I'm rarely nervous about anything. "Do you not have the letter ready to send?" Gerard asked as he entered my office along with Olivia, who had fresh tea.
"Despite feeling distracted, I do get my job done." I snarled as I handed Gerard the letter he needed to send. To be fair, it was a rather urgent response, so I could see why he was putting some pressure on me.
My eyes ended up wandering back to the box, and Olivia must have noticed because she let out a gasp. "Is this it, my lord?" She asked as she pointed to the box on my desk.
"Keep your hands off." I snapped. No one was to see it besides Micha.
"How exciting! What are you going to say to him?" Olivia put the teapot back on her cart and looked at me with wide, excited eyes.
"Say to him?" I didn't have plans to say much.
"You're not going to simply present it to him and ask him to wear it are you?" Olivia can't read my mind unless I talk directly to her… right?
"What? Is there something I'm supposed to say?" I snapped.
Olivia excitedly inhaled, and she got a dumb, starry look in her eyes. "It's supposed to be a romantic time for both parties! You have to get the location, mood, and all the words right! If you don't, he might say no!" What? Micha wouldn't dare say no to me… would he? No. Absolutely not. He clearly likes me. Just being away from me makes him tense…, but… I don't particularly want to risk it…
My face felt slightly warm as I grabbed my cup of tea and looked away from Olivia. "How does one get it right-" Before I could finish my question, Olivia excitedly gasped and disappeared in a swirl of red mist. Why do I have a bad feeling?
When she returned, she had multiple books in her hands. Did she… have things bookmarked? How strange. I never thought she would develop a personality like this. "In this book, River professes his love to Avilina over breakfast and proposes by having a chef put the ring on her plate." Knowing my luck, Micha would eat the ring. "Oooh, and this one is a personal favorite! The mood is set with a candlelit path, and Thea follows until the path opens up to a beautiful tropical venue where the love of her life, Noy, is waiting for her." That seems like a stupid amount of work. "This novel has the couple recreating their first date, and at the end, he pops the question-"
"Enough." I snapped. Olivia kept opening up books to the exact spot and placing them in front of me. My eyes scanned over some of the pages, and my brow instantly furrowed. What sort of fluffy goddamn bullshit is this? To speak such frivolous words seemed absolutely ridiculous. "It couldn't possibly be this fucking unrealistic in real life." I flipped the page of the book I was looking at and felt concerned. There wasn't a fucking chance I was going to say this sort of shit to Micha. I don't care how much I like him. It would probably freak him out if I started spouting this sort of shit.
"While I haven't ever seen a proposal happen…, but I do know that the little lord likes this sort of thing." I raised an eyebrow, and Olivia kept rambling on. "When you brought him here to rest while you did paperwork, he asked for books, remember? Out of the ones I bought, the little lord selected this book to read." Olivia poked the second open book she had placed in front of me. It was the one that talked about a moonlit candle-lined path. "He was about finished with it when I brought lunch in, and I remember you asking him why he was so worked up. This sort of thing gets the heart riled up."
My eyes ran over the words on the page. Mmm, yeah, I remember Micha acting all fidgety while reading. At one point, he even let out a pleased squeal. I thought it was bizarre. Knowing that he was reading this only made me more anxious. Did he really expect something similar to this? "Begone." I waved Olivia off, and her hands went to grab the open book, but I stopped her by grabbing the book Micha had been reading. "I will return this to you when I'm done."
"Hehe! Okay! If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help!" Get the fuck out of my office. I wanted to snarl.
As the door clicked closed, I let out a frustrated sigh and started looking through the book left behind. This has got to be a damn joke.
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Micha
Despite having a few days to look for a gift, I was turning out to be one failure of an omega. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing came to mind. Okay, something kept haunting one desperate corner of my mind, but I repeatedly told that part of my brain to be quiet. No one needed to hear what it had to say.
"Are you that concerned about my dumb ass party?" Ronak asked as he snuggled down into my bed with me. That wasn't helping the situation. Not only could I not find a gift, but the day of his party was finally arriving. I'm not ready at all.
"I admit that I'm worried." Though having Ronak snuggle up behind me was helping to alleviate my fears. Gosh, I never realized I was so needy.
"You don't need to be. I'll be there with you, and the only person you need to focus on is me. You don't need to talk to any jackasses." Mmm, there's that big ego of his. He'd probably love it if I stared at him the entire time.
I gave his fingers a bit of a squeeze as I fiddled with his arm that was draped over me. "Why do you get so crabby when it comes to your birthday?" He was even swearing. He was the one who brought it up most of the time, but he was always grumpy when talking about it. I had never been to a party like this, so I wasn't exactly sure what was upsetting him.
"Because all they ever are is a room full of nobles trying to one-up each other in hopes of gaining my favor. They think being friendly with me is going to get them in good graces with my uncles. I have to listen to their drivel all evening, even though I would rather fucking punch them." Ronak's hand balled up into a fist, preventing me from playing with his fingers. Gosh, settle down there. Can't say I'm surprised you want to hit them; it seems like your favorite hobby.
"You like punching too much." Ronak's fist melted in my grasp, and I was able to lace my fingers through his. "So do you not want to go?"
"I don't have an option. I would be dragged there whether I wanted to or not. This year will at least be tolerable because I'll be granted the title of archduke, and you'll be there with me. It'll be quite the shocking event for all the attendees." H-he wanted to attend with me? That makes me happy.
"I guess it will be your public declaration of no longer being single…" Worry returned and started bubbling up within my stomach. Will nobles who wanted Ronak to marry their daughters be upset and rude? I was so concerned about people finding out that I never thought about how people at the party would react…
"Stop worrying." Ronak brought his hostage hand up to brush along my cheek, and he surrounded me with gentle, calming pheromones that tickled my nose. "I'll be earning the title of archduke tomorrow; no one is going to say or do anything. They wouldn't dare." I… don't know if that makes me feel better…
Ronak's pheromones were completely overwhelming my senses. Gosh, he smells so nice. "Okay…" How could I possibly be worried when he plays dirty like this? My concerns never had a chance.
"What are your plans for winter break?" Huh? That was an odd change of topic.
"I stay here at the academy. It's too late in the season to return home." My parents lived at the tippy top of the empire, so by the time it was fall here in the capital, they were already getting snow. Carriages just couldn't make the journey, and I didn't care to get lost in the snow while traveling alone. It was lonely, but I managed.
"Do you want to come to my dukedom then? I have some more mold that needs to be removed, and I can't take care of it from the capital." I didn't realize I didn't have a grip on Ronak's hand until he cracked his knuckles and startled me. I-I was just about to fall asleep! Ronak must have realized his error because he instantly started petting me like I was a cat.
Mold to remove? That's the same terminology he used when it came to his fake father… That made me a bit nervous, but as troubled as Ronak was after usurping him, I probably should be there to help calm him down. Besides, I can't even sleep without this big dummy in my bed. "I guess I can go with you."
"What about in the summer?" Mmm, he was asking too many questions. Just let me go to sleep. I'm tired…
"I… go home…" A big yawn escaped me, and I snuggled Ronak's hand against my chest.
"Then I guess we'll have to go visit." Did he say 'we,' or is my tired brain playing tricks on me? Ronak's lips gently kissed the back of my neck as I drifted off. So… cozy…
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My eyes fluttered open, and I was surprised to see that Ronak was still fast asleep. He had me in one of his death grip hugs, but I didn't mind. I had grown rather fond of his clingy sleeping habits. I snuggled my face against his collarbone and let out a pleased sigh. Gosh, the draw to an alpha for an omega was strange. I wanted to be like this all the time. Wrapped all snugly in his arms, it just felt right. "Why have I fallen for you so hard?" I mumbled to myself.
"Guess we've fallen for each other." I jolted in surprise as Ronak whispered back to me. Wh-when did he wake up?! "You're quite wiggly in the mornings. It's like holding onto a worm." I'm not that wiggly!
"H-happy birthday." My face was rather pink, but I tried to move on from what he said.
"Mmm, this might be the first one that I'm happy about." Ronak gently kissed my forehead, and I couldn't help but look up at him with wide eyes. I can't believe he hates his birthday so much… I guess I have a family that loves and supports me, so… I can't judge too much…
"I've never been to a party like yours before, but I'm happy that I get to spend your birthday with you." I guess I could overcome my concerns for him. I let out a little gasp and snickered. "You're older than me now."
"Good, it'd be weird if you were older than me… When is your birthday anyway?" Ronak's brow furrowed slightly as he stared into my eyes, and a wave of concern washed over me from him.
"You're a fall baby and I'm a spring one." We were rather opposite in every way. It only seemed appropriate that our birthdays were in opposite seasons. Rather ironic if you ask me.
"I'm glad I didn't miss it… I just didn't think to ask before now…" The capital bell tower rang, and I let out a little groan. I didn't want to go to class!
"I probably should have mentioned this sooner, but I won't be going to classes today. I'll have a carriage sent over to pick you up." Ronak looked a little perturbed. Did it have something to do with his birthday?
"Why not?" I wasn't trying to be selfish, but I also didn't want to be alone.
"First, it would cause nothing but distractions. Every boot-licking noble will want to greet me. Second, I have to attend a formal investiture." Ronak let out a big yawn, and I was able to see his teeth. Huh, are alpha teeth sharper than omega teeth? Interesting…
"What's that?" I don't think I've ever heard of an investiture before…
"It's a ceremony where I will receive the title of archduke. In other words, it's for my uncle to show off and make a big show out of nothing." Ronak's brow furrowed, and a wave of annoyance washed over me. Oooh, I thought that's what he was implying, but I figured I'd ask.
"Archduke, huh, how fancy." That was the next rank down from emperor. The royal family was on par with an archduke, but an archduke was essentially next in line for the throne after any princes. It technically didn't change anything for Ronak, but it made the reality of his situation a bit more real.
"You do realize you'll hold the title of archduke one day, too, right?" Huh?!
"M-me?!" My voice awkwardly shifted in octaves as I exclaimed my surprise.
Ronak's brow furrowed again, and he reached over to poke me in the nose. "You're my omega, are you not?" Was he implying that we'd get married one day? Gah! I know we've grown rather close, but the idea of marrying Ronak felt so weird! I-I definitely wasn't archduke material. "Mmm, cute." What? Ronak was quick to assault me with multiple kisses before I could react. "I'll see you at my party. Try not to stress all day." He said as his lips pulled away from mine.
"Y-you can borrow my notes! I know we only share a few classes, but they're all lectures today…" Why did that have to pop into my head?! Ronak laughed, which only made me feel stupid. Stop it!
"I'd like that." H-he would? Ronak kept chuckling to himself, which led me to feel even more embarrassed, but I didn't say anything. I'd let him revel in his amusement today since it was his birthday.
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Classes felt like they were lasting forever; it was awful. I wasn't sure if it was my nerves or the fact that Ronak was further away from me today, but I was on edge all day. I was so fidgety that even Terra asked me if I was okay. I-I hope I wasn't distracting Ronak… He probably needed to pay attention during the ceremony.
When my last class of the day ended, I threw all my stuff into my storage and took off to my dorm. The carriage should be arriving soon, and I sure didn't want it drawing too much attention by having it wait for me. S-simple clothes should be fine, right? I was changing when I got to Ronak's estate anyway…
I headed to the academy gates, where carriages were allowed to pull, and froze. Th-that wasn't a carriage from Ronak's estate… Th-that was an imperial carriage! Ronak didn't really expect me to get inside that, did he?! I definitely couldn't let anyone see!
My nerves were bubbling around like crazy as I looked around to make sure the coast was clear. I thought for sure I was going to be sick as I darted over to the carriage. "H-hello… My name is Micha…" I wasn't even sure if this carriage was here for me b-but it was the only one here… Gah! If it's not, then I'm surely going to pass out and die from embarrassment!
"You must be the little omega I was sent to pick up." Wh-why does everyone call me little? I-I'm not little! "You do have quite the ethereal air to you with your blonde hair and golden eyes." The carriage driver gave me a polite smile, but I just stared at him in shock. E-ethereal?! Who told him that?! He didn't come up with that on his own, did he? He moved to open the carriage door, and I quickly scurried inside before anyone saw me talking to him. If this is Ronak's doing, he's going to hear about this! I feel like I'm going to be sick.
The ride felt faster than I was expecting, but that might be because of my nervous jittering. It was probably driving Ronak crazy, but I couldn't help it! When the driver opened the door, I almost fainted. Four maids were waiting for me, all bowing respectfully. "Greetings, Lord Micha. We will be taking care of you and your preparations for the party." She bowed again, and the other three maids rose from their bows.
"Y-you don't have to call me lord… that's a bit much…" I didn't have my father's title, nor did I need to be addressed so respectfully. It was way too much!
"You are bonded to Archduke Abraxos. It would be highly disrespectful if we didn't use your appropriate title." Her tone was firm, so I simply nodded my head. I wasn't going to argue with her. "Please follow me."
I was feeling incredibly out of place in the palace. It was far too opulent for someone who was barely raised as a noble. Even my casual clothes felt out of place next to the maid's crisp uniforms. Like they were dressed in finer linens than I was. A-actually, they probably were… I guess it was better than being covered in dirt and blood like last time… I followed the maids as they led me into a wing of the palace that seemed to be a place for guests. They opened a door for me, and I cautiously entered a guest chamber. It had a bed, a sitting area, and two doors. Huh, the design of the room was awfully similar to how Ronak's room was set up… Maybe they were designed by the same person…
"First, you will be bathed, and we will wash your hair. Afterward, we will dry and style your hair before getting you dressed for the party." By no means was she being rude or disrespectful, but being told that I needed to bathe made me feel dirty. I didn't realize that they needed to do all that. I thought I was just changing my clothes… Was this why Ronak said the carriage was coming right after classes? Did he tell them to do all this?
"I-I can wash by myself." I had never had anyone assist me with my bath since- um… well, I guess Ronak has been rather persistent about bathing with me as of late… He seems to like washing my hair… O-okay, before Ronak, the only time I had assistance was when I was a small child. The idea of having these four maids do it made me feel uncomfortable.
"Your back needs to be thoroughly exfoliated. I will be personally attending to you." She bowed very seriously, and I awkwardly nodded. I would prefer her not to, but I don't think she's going to take no for an answer. At least it wasn't all of them coming in to scrub me.
The maids scurried off to get the bath ready while I changed into a robe. Woah! It's so soft and plush! I wish I could keep it! A knock on the door drew my attention, and the head maid wandered over to answer. Oh, that must be my outfit. I peeked over at it, but it was hard to tell what it would look like. There was way more fabric than I was expecting. Was that a skirt? I trust that Ronak didn't let Kas dress me in a skirt.
"Lord Micha, your bath is ready." The three maids exited the room while I nervously entered. Ronak wouldn't let them do anything to me… I-I'm sure it's all going to be fine.
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I couldn't believe how many lotions, gels, sprays, and scrubs were used on me. It was like their goal was to remove the entire top layer of my skin. How I wasn't red when they were done was a mystery to me. If anything, my skin looked glowy and shimmery. Even my hair had multiple products applied to it and was even shinier than normal. They braided the sides of my hair before pulling it up into a high ponytail. I didn't wear it like this very often, but it looked nice. It kept my hair off my neck and back.
"Alright, you are done. We must get you into your suit; otherwise, you will be late for the party." I glanced at the clock and couldn't believe how much time had passed. The party had already started thirty minutes ago, and I really will be late if we don't hurry.
I couldn't believe that Ronak would approve of such an outfit! It had so much and so little fabric all at the same time. It was the top that I was having a hard time wrapping my head around. It was a deep navy blue, almost black, but the front had a deep V-neck that ran almost all the way down to my belly, button. The edges of the neckline were sewn with delicate lace that only accentuated my pale skin. Of course, the wide V-neck drew attention to the golden swoops that adorned my collarbone. The shoulders had ruffles, and the sleeves that came down to my wrists were rather puffy, but I didn't even want to think about the back. There basically wasn't one! The entirety of my back was being exposed by a large cutout that was trimmed with lace to accentuate my bond mark. I-I can't go out wearing this! Everyone is going to see!
The bottoms were almost skirt-like. In the back and along the sides, ruffled fabric layered down to the floor like a skirt, but there was clearly a pair of pants hidden underneath, and they were visible from the front. I admit they confused me a bit, but when put all together, the ensemble looked rather beautiful. The small heels they expected me to wear did stress me out, though. I hope I don't trip and land on my face. They just spent so much time making me look pretty.
"I must say you look incredibly dashing, Lord Micha." The maids all stepped back and admired their work. "There's only one missing part." She turned and picked up an elaborately carved box off the bedside table and presented it to me.
I slowly opened the box, and inside was my masquerade mask. I was shocked, I thought it would hide my face better, but it was lacy like the back of my outfit. I thought it was made of fabric until I touched it, and I realized that it was intricately sculpted metal. It was inky black with two long black ribbons so it could tie around the back of my head. "H-how is this going to hide my identity?" I held it up and looked in the mirror. I guess with the whole outfit it looks rather unlike me…
"It's not so much about hiding your identity as it is presenting you to the world as Archduke Abraxos's mate." I nervously bit my tongue. I didn't want to announce to everyone who I was! It was too late to back out now, wasn't it… This is not how I wanted things to go down! The maids helped me tie the mask on, and I looked at the finished design in the mirror. It was breathtaking and nothing I would normally wear. Maybe I did seem like a completely different person in it…
"Lord Micha, you must be going. If you delay any more, Archduke Abraxos will have arrived at the party."
"R-right." I pulled my attention from the mirror and followed the head maid. I thought the party would be in the ballroom, but as we walked down the halls, I saw that the imperial gardens were teeming with life. There are so many people here! H-how was I supposed to not be nervous?! This is too much! I wasn't expecting this!
"This is where we part ways. Enjoy yourself, Lord Micha." The maid bowed and left, her job done.
I stood before a large set of doors and stared at them with concern until one of the knights cleared his throat. "Will you be announced?"
"Huh? Oh… No. No thanks." The guard nodded his head and opened the doors for me. I was completely unprepared as I took a step through the door.
The gardens were stunning. They must have been utilizing light magic because glowing orbs of all sizes had been placed around the garden beds, making the place glow with warm light. Flowers of all types were in full bloom despite an autumn chill starting to appear in the air. I could have just wandered the gardens for hours, looking at all the unique plants, and would have been completely happy. Too bad the place was swarming with people.
Gosh, everyone was dressed in such fancy suits and dresses. Even their masks were spectacular, ranging from simple designs to elaborate ones decorated with feathers and jewels. I was hoping to slip into the crowd unnoticed, but the moment I stepped out of the double doors, people turned to see who had arrived.
My heart was racing, and I was terribly glad that my mask was helping to hide a little bit of blush. As I walked down the steps, a murmur passed through the crowd, and people gave me confused glances. It seemed like no one recognized me. H-hopefully… I was glad there was an option to stay ambiguous for the party because of the masquerade aspect. The emperor was a genius for coming up with such an idea.
I wandered into the garden, mostly admiring the plants, as I tried to ignore the staring. D-did people have nothing better to do than look at me?! It was odd having no one to socialize with… I could see why Ronak didn't like these parties. At least the music that was gently filling the air was pleasant to listen to.
I wandered past the food area and glanced over at the desserts. Those look so good… My feet wanted to haul me off to the table's bountiful trays piled high with goodies, but I knew that Ronak would tease me if he showed up only to find me eating. Resist. I must resist the urge to steal all the chocolate goodies and put them in my storage… Ronak would be upset and embarrassed because of me! I can't do that to him on his birthday! I'm stronger than that! B-but… they really did look good…
The music came to a gentle stop, and everyone seemed to focus their attention on the palace. The announcer thudded his large staff against the ground and, in a surprisingly loud voice, said, "Now announcing our guest of honor, Archduke Ronak Azorius Abraxos."
A murmur traveled through the crowd as Ronak was declared an archduke for all to hear, but my attention wasn't on that. My attention was fully on the doors as they opened. Standing proudly like the haughty and arrogant guy I knew him to be was Ronak. His shirt was a deep navy blue, almost black like mine, but it had elegant black embroidery along it that reminded me of my mark. His jacket was black with continued navy blue embroidery along it, and a black leather belt sat above his waist with a fancy sword and scabbard hanging from his left side. I would have thought him to be a prince in any other situation. H-he can't be dressed so charming! I-it's too much!
The crowd grew louder as people started to see his golden mark that ran along his neck peeking out of his loose collar, but all I noticed was his red eyes. They easily spotted me the moment the doors opened, even while wearing a simple, solid black mask. He took his first step down the stairs, but didn't break eye contact with me the entire time. I could have gotten lost in his gaze. It was intense.
It was like everyone else disappeared. Ronak was looking at me and only me. I wasn't even standing in the front of the crowd either. I was further back, but he still found me. He made it to the bottom of the stairs, and I saw his head over the top of everyone else. Pft, he approached like a man on a mission, intent on finding me. I thought people would swarm him, but they quickly got out of his way. Why were they avoiding him? Oh... I understood why as he got closer. He was producing intimidating pheromones, but I wasn't bothered by them. To me, they were delightful. I could roll around in this scent every day and would love every second of it.
The final bit of the crowd parted, and I was able to step towards Ronak. "You look incredible and as beautiful as always." He reached out, took my hand, and gently kissed it while he bowed. I was shocked by his sweet gesture, but a smile formed on my lips.
"Thank you, you look incredibly handsome tonight." As Ronak stood back up, I became aware of the people staring at us in shock. My face became warm as everyone at the party watched us with wide eyes. I-I guess Ronak having a mate only really circulated around the academy because some of these people looked horrified. Ronak laced his fingers through mine and pulled me close to him. Ah! Th-there are so many people watching!
Ronak's hands held my waist, and his head dipped towards my ear so he could whisper to me. "How many sweets have you eaten?" I noticed him sniffing the air and giggled.
"None yet. I glanced at them, but resisted the urge. It's probably the sugar scrub you smell." It felt a little awkward knowing so many people were listening to us, but I tried to ignore them and just focus on Ronak. His pheromones shifted slightly and wrapped around me like an additional hug. Th-that feels better… His intimidating pheromones weren't scary to me, but I much preferred his other variations.
The announcer's staff rang out again, drawing almost everyone's attention back to him. "Now announcing the small sun and star of the empire, Prince Elyas and Princess Bridget." I didn't even get a chance to look as Ronak took my hand and quickly swept me away. He pulled me through the throngs of people back to where it was far quieter.
"Where are we going?!" I asked as we left the area where the party was being held. N-not that I minded getting some peace and quiet, but I wasn't sure if we should be running off.
"Away from all the goddamn gawkers and bootlickers." He snickered. We seemed to be heading towards a large oak tree that overlooked the imperial pond, and was that a swing hanging from its branches? "I used to come here when I got dropped off at the palace as a small child. It was mostly peaceful until Elyas would show up." Ronak grumbled that last part, which made me giggle. The seat was only made for one, but Ronak sat down and pulled me up onto his lap. I wrapped my arm around his neck for additional stability, but it was surprisingly comfortable. J-just don't swing, I don't have any desire to fall off.
I looked out at the stars and moon, which were perfectly reflected along the pond's smooth surface, and let out a little gasp. This place was breathtaking. "Y-you probably already know, but I was incredibly anxious without you today." The beautiful sight and being returned to Ronak made me feel exceptionally calm.
"Oh? It wasn't because of the party?"
"That didn't help…" Ronak snickered and snuggled his head against my shoulder and cheek. Gah! That tickles! Thankfully, he stopped and gave me an amused look.
"I had a hard time as well. I thought about escaping the ceremony a few times." Escaping?! He can't do that!
"Ronak!" He'd probably get in trouble!
Ronak snickered and let out a funny grumble. "Who'd have thought that I'd grow so attached to such a shy, well-behaved, little omega."
"I-I'm not little!" I squealed.
"It's like there's a flustered feather sitting on my lap." Hey! "A very beautiful upset feather." Ronak chuckled, which didn't make me feel better.
"You're such a meanie," I grumbled while looking out at the pond.
"You really think that?" Gah! His smile was so smug, and his eyes sparkled from the moonlight's reflection.
"Yeah," I grumbled while staring down at him. H-how dare he look so handsome and smug! That's not allowed!
"Mmm, that's too bad, guess I won't give you the gift I got you."
"Y-you got me a gift?!, but it's your birthday! I-I was supposed to give you one… a-and I failed…" I shrunk down in embarrassment. I'm an awful omega. I couldn't even find my alpha a gift for his birthday.
Ronak's free hand came up and gently brought my lowered gaze back to him. "If you accept my gift, it will probably make up for you not getting me one." His eyes still looked a bit teasing, but his expression had changed to a rather soft one.
"H-how is that going to fix anything?" Him giving me a gift was only going to make my failure more obvious…
"Just listen…" Ronak paused for a moment, and his attention drifted off to the lake. "I've… never really had a positive relationship with anyone… so I did things a bit backwards with you. It was unintentional… at least a bit of it was." Where was he going with this? "Sorry, I'm rambling… I'm not very good at this sort of stuff. I'd rather speak with my fists than deal with other people."
"I-I'm aware…" I dully stared at him and grabbed his fist so I could give it a good squeeze. I wish he wouldn't be so quick to hit people.
A bit of guilt washed over me from Ronak, and I saw that his gaze had dropped to the ground. "If I could go back and change how I treated you, I would…" His eyes flicked up to look at me, and I could have easily gotten lost in his gaze. It was so warm and tender. "If you'd permit it, I'd like to put that in the past. Turn a fresh page and get to know each other properly, like we have been recently. We don't need to take things fast, but I would like to do things right." I mean, part of me didn't like at all how we met and what happened, but the fact was, we were stuck together now. We could continue harboring guilt and resentment, but… I didn't want to live like that… I agreed that it wouldn't be something that magically disappeared, but maybe together we could slowly process those feelings together. I'd rather try having a good life with Ronak than being miserable and bitter.
"Y-yeah, I'd like that." I thought Ronak was moving his hand
to lace his fingers through mine, but instead, he pulled his hand away from mine and stuck it into his suit jacket.
He pulled out a small box and held it for a second. I could tell his eyebrows had furrowed even with his mask on, pft. "Could you grab the bottom of the box? I don't particularly want you to fall from my lap." I guess two of our arms were preoccupied. He was holding my waist, and I had mine wrapped around his neck. I nodded my head and nervously reached over to grab the bottom of the box. Wh-what did he go and buy now?
I gasped as Ronak pulled the lid up on the little velvet box. Inside was a gorgeous ring. In the center sat a large teardrop-shaped ruby with a halo of tiny diamonds surrounding it. There seemed to be three golden bands, two of which were intertwined and covered in more of the small diamonds. Along the bottom and top of the ring, like an additional halo, sat fourteen diamonds of varying cuts. The top ones were so grand that the third band needed to support them. The red, white, and gold paired so beautifully together. I was completely blown away. H-he bought me a ring?!
"Wh-what's th-this?!" I squeaked. I-is it… what I think it is?!
"I'm not looking for an answer right now…, but maybe one day when you're ready, we could get married. You can keep it until you make up your mind or if you grow to hate me, throw it out, but for right now, I would like it if you wore this." I wasn't sure if my brain or heart had stopped, but I ended up staring at the ring with wide eyes.
When I finally turned to look at Ronak, big tears formed in my eyes. "Y-you dummy!" Ronak's face turned to one of shock as he witnessed a tear fall from my eye and disappear down underneath my mask. "I-I'm not going to grow to hate you! Haven't you realized?! I-I like you. I like you a lot!" I wasn't sure if I had grown to love Ronak yet, but I definitely liked him. D-don't tell me he's that dense…
Ronak pulled me into a tight hug, and I let out a little yelp. "Don't stress me out like that!" He let out an angry growl, but I didn't care. I even liked the angry sounds he made. "I've been spouting all this bullshi,t and that's how you react?!"
"S-sorry!" I giggled as more tears welled in my eyes. "Th-they're happy tears." Ronak pulled away from me and looked at me with concern.
"Happy tears?"
"Yeah… it happens." He looked rather confused, which was cute. "A-are you going to put it on me?" I asked as I held up my hand.
"Right…" Ronak had me pull the ring out of the box, and I discovered that the two bands were actually soldered at the bottom to keep them connected. W-weren't rings only supposed to have the second band after marriage? I-I won't mention it… I don't want him to think I don't like it. He put the box back in his jacket and took the ring from me. My hand was a bit shaky, but Ronak managed to slide the ring onto my finger. It was a perfect fit… Did he measure my finger or something?
I looked up from my ring to see Ronak watching me. The moonlight was making his eyes look brighter than normal as he curiously watched my every move. I rarely initiated anything, and I was a bit nervous, but as our lips met, my nervousness melted away. Everything… finally felt right.