...••∆~∆••...

...A long time ago, before anyone alive today could remember, it was said that the kingdoms of Zui, Su, and Xin were only one: the mighty kingdom of Zhu....

...The causes of the split varied according to who was asked.Those from Zui said it was all the fault of those cunning Xin foxes, always greedy for more....

...The people of Xin blamed the rapacious Zui wolves, who plundered what they could and licked their maws clean afterwards....

...The mortal men of Su blamed both Zui and Xin and insisted they had nothing to do with any wars, past or present. They were always quick to point out their weak human constitutions, which were no match for the divine beasts that inhabited the lands of Zui and Xin....

...One thing everyone was certain of: no matter how united they used to be in the past, there was no chance of the three kingdoms ever uniting under one same banner again....

...The border skirmishes and incursions were a constant, each feudal lord constantly trying to annex enemy territory and gain favour with their king....

...The Chu clan was the current ruling family of Xin. They were one of the oldest nine-tailed fox families in Xin, and since the country existed, had always been attached to the throne....

...The current King was Chu Yun's paternal uncle, King Chu Song. So, when Chu Yun received a summons from his uncle to go to the Royal palace at once, he didn't dally....

..."This humble subject greets His Majesty," Chu Yun said, kowtowing to his uncle under the steps of the dais leading up to the nine-tailed throne....

...The Xin King's throne room was lavishly decorated with sumptuous carved wood panels, wall-hangings, and watercolour paintings depicting the kingdom's most noteworthy and breathtaking landscape....

...The centrepiece was of course the throne itself, made of exquisite mutton fat white jade, and carved in the shape of nine fox tails, curving delicately over each other in an harmonious arc....

...Nine-tailed foxes were well-known for indulging in beauty, and being great appreciators of art and music. The Chu palace alone was home to several priceless treasures....

...The King, dressed in his royal brocade robes, stood in front of his throne with his hands clasped behind his back, his keen gaze fixed on his nephew....

..."We have called you here due to a matter of grave importance."...

...Chu Yun stood up, but his head remained lowered in deference. Eyes glued attentively to the floor....

...Chu Yun was tall and slender, with a scholar's refined bearing. His features were elegant and harmonious, his smiles always generous with a touch of decadent hedonism. It was only the flinty steel of his beguiling fox eyes that betrayed his sharp wit and cunning nature....

...He painted a convincing picture of a disciplined and respectful member of the royal family's younger generation -- the King knew better than to believe his act....

..."As you know, those Zui dogs have been causing trouble for our great Xin. Our trade routes have been compromised by their recent incursions, and access to the Yellow River is limited at the moment."...

...Chu Yun was well aware of all that, on account of his father not shutting up about it. Along with his mother's admonishments that he should take the opportunity and get more involved in court matters....

...She must have been delighted to hear that Chu Yun had been personally summoned by the King....

..."His Majesty's great wisdom will see our great Xin through this trial," Chu Yun said, diplomatically....

...With his head lowered, Chu Yu didn't see the smirk that stole across his uncle's thin lips....

..."Indeed, we have," he said, his tone weighted by gravitas. "There have been extensive talks with Zui, in order to achieve a compromise." He paused for dramatic effect. "A marriage alliance has been proposed."...

...Chu Yun's expression froze. His mind immediately went to his youngest omega brother, Chu Hean....

...Why else would the King call him here, if not to inform him he would be accompanying his brother's wedding procession into the odious kingdom of Zui?...

...Chu Hean was considered a peerless beautiful omega, one of the most beautiful in all of Xin. Ever since he was introduced to society, there had been no shortage of infatuated alphas declaring their undying love for him in the form of terrible poetry, and even more terrible music for the zither and flute....

...Some unscrupulous shops in the capital, Lanzhou, even claimed to sell perfumes that perfectly mimicked Chu Hean's scent. So that other omegas could at least smell like him since they would never resemble him....

...It was only a matter of time before reports of Chu Hean's outstanding beauty reached those perverted Zui dogs....

...And now someone in the royal house of Zui wanted him....

..."This lowly subject begs that his Majesty please reconsider, Hean is merely-"...

...The King cut him off briskly. "Cease your complaining. Your brother isn't being considered for the marriage alliance."...

...With slow, measured steps, the king climbed down the dais and came to a stop in front of Chu Yun, who finally raised his eyes....

...The King's dark eyes shone with a cold, calculating glint....

..."The Zui King wants to find a spouse for his second alpha son, Xiao Zai."...

...Chu Yun nodded in understanding, but his sword-sharp brows knitted in confusion. If this wasn't related to his younger brother, why had the King summoned him?...

..."We have decided that you are the ideal candidate."...

...The king's words fell on the throne room like the strike of a hammer on an anvil....

...Chu Yun couldn't hide his shock.. "But, I'm an alpha too."...

...••∆~∆••...

...••∆~∆••...

...The king wasn't impressed by Chu Yun's powers of deduction....

..."That hasn't escaped our notice," he said, his tone thick with derision. "The Zui king is also aware. That won't be a problem for the upcoming marriage alliance. As you know, your feelings on the matter are irrelevant."...

...Chu Yun fell to his knees once again, prostrating himself in an even deeper kowtow. "This lowly subject is father's only alpha heir, begging uncle to please reconsider."...

...In a last bid to swerve off the cruel road that stretched out in front of him, Chu Yun ignored propriety and tried to appeal to his uncle's feelings by reminding him that it was his own nephew he was condemning to such a fate....

...The king was unmoved. "Stop your nagging. If your alpha pride is hurt at the idea of marrying into another household, then why are you behaving like a squirming omega?"...

...Chu Yun bit his tongue. What did the king expect him to say?...

...Most alphas grew up knowing they would one day be the head of their household, and take one, or several, spouses across their thresholds....

...The most romantically inclined dreamed of meeting an omega who would be their soulmate for life, the less so, at least dreamed of bedding several of them!...

...Chu Yun wasn't entirely sure on which side he fell, but it wasn't on the side that wanted another alpha!...

...All his life, he actively avoided other alphas, having always found their company grating and presence oppressive....

...He had a thousand other grievances on the tip of his tongue, but the severe line of the king's knitted eyebrows silenced them all....

..."Whatever complaints you have are best kept to yourself. The matter has been settled, a royal decree has already been issued to the Prince of Jing's household, we suggest you hurry back home and be there by the time it arrives."...

... ...

...The carriage ride back home to his father's, the Prince of Jing, estate passed by in a blur. Chu Yun's mother, prince Jing's official omega wife, was already waiting for him at the door....

...As soon as Chu Yun stepped out of the carriage she scooped him him up into a hug, bypassing the servants and wrapping her thin arms around his neck. "Oh my son, my poor son! Who could have done this to us?"...

...Madam Jing was a beautiful woman, with a long crane's neck, and fine, jade-like skin. But there was iron under her softness. The same iron that gave Chu Yun his sharp fox eyes, that could be as seductive as they were cunning. To see his usually regal and composed mother reduced to sobs of humiliation twisted the dagger already lodged in his ribs....

...Chu Yun returned his mother's embrace listlessly, his gaze empty....

...He didn't have an answer for her, only an echo of her question....

...Weddings between two alphas, or two omegas, weren't entirely unheard of. They happened among the common people, and among the nobility too. Except that among the nobles they served only one purpose -- to completely sever a family branch or line....

...Chu Yun was his father's heir, as the only alpha child of his first wife. The Prince of Jing only had one alpha son, one omega son, and one beta daughter who was merely a baby. With Chu Yun married into another family, the Prince of Jing had no heir to pass on his title....

...The king must have decided that Chu Yun represented a threat to his sons' legitimate claim to the throne. Which wasn't surprising considering the sheer incompetence of his three alpha sons....

...Maybe he feared that Chu Yun would grow too popular among the common people, or that his skills as a military strategist would earn him the support and respect of the army, even though he wasn't a soldier himself?...

...Chu Yun had no desire to seize the throne from the grasp of his incompetent cousins. His only ambition was to live a long, carefree life. Now, his uncle was sending him into a literal wolf den....

...His mother took him into the inner courtyard, where his father was already pacing back and forth, looking white as a sheet....

...Chu Yun only had the time to exchange a brief look of despair with his father before one of the servants rushed in to announce the arrival of a royal envoy....

...Everyone in the courtyard fell to their knees in deep prostration as the envoy from the royal palace read the King's edict and sealed Chu Yun's fate....

... ...

...After the envoy left, the Prince of Jing retreated to his rooms, complaining of a headache. Chu Yun's mother, Madam Yin, went after him, followed by his father's other concubines....

...Chu Yun retreated to his own rooms to lick his wounds. He was going to be the Consort of the Second Prince of Zui -- whether he wanted to or not. He wouldn't humiliate his father and their entire family by going against the king's orders....

...His personal servant, Hua Nanyi, a human beta from Su -- as all humans were --, gave him a look of commiseration as soon as he entered the room....

...Chu Yun dismissed all other servants except for her and fell face-first into his bed. "Nanyi, I'm fucked."...

...Behind him, Hua Nanyi sighed. "That seems to be the case, your Grace."...

...There was a beat of silence, and then Nanyi cleared her throat, extremely uncomfortable. "I understand that your Grace probably doesn't want to think about this, but, there is also the matter of your dowry."...

...From the bed, Chu Yun let out a muffled groan....

...••∆~∆••...

...••∆~∆••...

...His Highness, Second Prince, Xiao Zai was having a terrible day. His usually clear phoenix eyes held a thousand grievances in their dark depths, and his fluent lips had been pressed into a thin line the entire day. His usual aura of overflowing competence and authority was dimmer, like a fire banked by heavy snowfall....

...In truth, he was having a terrible week -- ever since he caught wind of his royal father's plans he hadn't known peace....

...And today the edict announcing his upcoming marriage to that Xin fox had been read, sealing his fate....

...Xiao Zai was currently in his private inner courtyard, doing what he knew what to do best -- brooding. The small porcelain wine cup between his fingers had withstood two outbursts, but it probably wouldn't survive a third....

...Xiao Zai closed his keen phoenix eyes in concentration, and inhaled the calming scent of pine and morning dew wafting around the courtyard. He exhaled slowly, remembering the breathing exercises his dam-father had taught him....

...Above all, Xiao Zai worried about what would happen to his dam-father once he moved out of the royal palace, and into his own household....

...Half of his motivation to covet the Zui throne was the desire to see his dam-father elevated from his current position. To finally put an end to all the humiliations he suffered his entire life at the hands of Xiao Zai's royal father....

...The Crowning Moon royal palace was the jewel of the kingdom of Zui, but for Xiao Zai it would always the place where he spent his childhood and youth fighting for his life, his dam's life, his younger sister's life....

...These grand walls, these verdant courtyards, they were like grasping fingers, reaching for him hungrily, trying to tear him apart....

...Xiao Zai heard the sound of his bedroom door open, and then the sound of footsteps approaching the courtyard....

...He didn't need to look to know it was his dam-father. Moments later, Gu Wei took a seat in front of him, pouring himself a cup of wine and downing it in a single swallow....

..."That fucking bastard," Gu Wei said, his fine features pinched with contempt....

...Xiao Zai raised his own cup in honour of the bastard that sired him, and drank with the dam that birthed him....

...Gu Wei smiled at his son's gesture and some of the light returned to his beautiful face. He was young when he married the king, and even now, several years and two children later, many still considered him the most beautiful omega in all of Zui....

...Xiao Zai had spent most of his life in awe of his dam, so where others saw the cold beauty the Zui wolves valued so much in omegas, Xiao Zai saw only an indomitable spirit and outstanding resilience. Even now that he towered over him, Gu Wei had always seemed to him larger than life. It seemed impossible that anyone had ever dared to raise a hand towards him in violence....

...Yet someone did, and Xiao Zai was there to bear witness more times than he cared to remember....

..."We should have seen something like this coming," Gu Wei said, pouring another cup for Xiao Zai. "He would try everything in his power to remove you from succession."...

...Gu Wei's usually limpid eyes were overcast. Xiao Zai tried to reassure him....

..."I can always take a concubine after the wedding."...

...Gu Wei shook his head. "He's not marrying you to any random Zui noble. It's not a coincidence that this is a marriage between Xin and Zui. He'll remind you at every turn of how important this alliance is to the kingdom's future stability, how you can't risk offending your future consort's family."...

...Xiao Zai could hear Gu Wei's words in the king's own curt tone. Could even imagine the swoop of disapproval of his thick eyebrows....

...His dam was right, it would be a long time before the king allowed him to take any concubine. Even if he brought the matter up with the courts all the judges and ministers would undoubtedly side with the king....

...That of course, didn't solve the matter of legitimacy. Even if he did have children with concubine, they would never be the child of his first spouse, and therefore would have no legitimate claim to inherit his title....

...Xiao Zai's birth alone made his claim to the throne a dubious one, since he wasn't the son of the late Queen Consort. If he was also unable to produce a legitimate heir of his own, who would support him? He couldn't be king without at least a few ministers on his side....

...Gu Wei rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Of course we're ignoring the most important detail. How can you be King, with an alpha fox from Xin as your Consort?" His slender hands shook on the porcelain cup, bellying how much this matter was affecting him. "The people would never allow something like that. All kinds of accusations about Xin trying to worm their way into our kingdom would be thrown at you."...

...Xiao Zai reached across the stone table under the courtyard's gazebo, and held onto Gu Wei's wrist. "We'll think of something."...

...His dam had suffered enough. Xiao Zai would be king, no matter how, and Gu Wei would finally be treated with the dignity and respect he deserved....

... ...

...Dam is the opposite of a sire. A sire impregnates, a dam gets pregnant.. It's usually used for animals, and dam does have female connotations, but I figure the animal related background makes sense considering the setting. And dam is an unusual enough word that it won't be too jarring to see it applied to a male character (let me know what you think tho!)...

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