Ch 3
Chapter 3: Dating Disasters and Ducal Dramas
William Northumbria.
*sitting in the library*
He was… a fire.
William Northumbria.
Not aggressive.
William Northumbria.
But defiant.
William Northumbria.
My alpha wants to soothe that defiance, not provoke it.
William Northumbria.
Why did I ask him like that?Like some common lout?
William Northumbria.
I meant it with every fiber of my being.
William Northumbria.
But the words… the words were all wrong. So crude. So utterly me.
William Northumbria.
I'm so utterly unprepared.
William Northumbria.
How does one even ask? Is there a proper protocol?
William Northumbria.
Do I need a flowchart?
William Northumbria.
A 'How to Court an Omega Who Hates Your Face, Edition 1: The Basics.'
William Northumbria.
Was it the flower?
William Northumbria.
Is a single blue rose too forward?
William Northumbria.
Or not forward enough?
William Northumbria.
Maybe I should have sent a whole bouquet?
William Northumbria.
Or the entire shop?
William Northumbria.
No, that would be weird.
William Northumbria.
I just want him to understand.
A soft rustle of silk announced the inevitable.
His mother, Kayna Northumbria, glided into the doorway, her expression a masterclass in polite disappointment.
Kayna (William's Mother)
*suddenly, dramatically placing a hand to her chest, voice trembling*
Kayna (William's Mother)
Oh, William!
Kayna (William's Mother)
My poor, lonely lamb!
Kayna (William's Mother)
Do you know the sheer agony you inflict?
Kayna (William's Mother)
My heart shatters like cheap crystal!
Kayna (William's Mother)
I worry about your… future!
Kayna (William's Mother)
Rahina, bless her, was just asking about you. Such an agreeable Alpha.
Kayna (William's Mother)
So utterly devoted. She'd give you beautiful, well-bred heirs!
Kayna (William's Mother)
*A single, perfectly spherical tear rolled down her cheek, clearly moisturized, not emotional.*
Kayna (William's Mother)
My womb cries for grandchildren, darling!
William Northumbria.
(Her womb? She's really going for the gold today.)
William Northumbria.
(The fake cry is top-tier. I'm going to apologize just to stop the ovarian dramatics. This is a hostage situation.)
William Northumbria.
*wincing* Mother! Please.
William Northumbria.
Don't... don't cry.
William Northumbria.
I didn't mean to upset you. *He fumbled for a nonexistent handkerchief.*
Kayna (William's Mother)
*sniffing delicately, a triumphant gleam in her eye* It's quite alright, dear.
Kayna (William's Mother)
A mother's burden. Just... think about what I said. For my sake.
Kayna (William's Mother)
And for the future of the Northumbria line. *She dabbed her eye with a flourish.*
Kayna (William's Mother)
Oh! Almost forgot! Leon and Arthur have arrived! And Rahina, bless her heart, simply insisted on joining them.
Kayna (William's Mother)
They're waiting in the receiving salon. Do try to look less like you've just wrestled a badger. Appearances, William, are everything.
She swept out, leaving William drowning in a sea of ancient agricultural texts and the sudden, terrifying realization that he had company.
William Northumbria.
A badger sounds infinitely less stressful than this. At least a badger wouldn't ask about my marital prospects.
Comments