Climb Down, If Only For A Taste

[NOUR]

A seat at the high table was something he had been born for.

It was his truth, his reality as the crown prince of Acrod, despite the endless years he had spent in hiding.

It was his place, regardless of how long he took to come back to what had once been home to him.

It was his.

All these people were being groomed to serve him. To be there for him whenever he needed them. They had been groomed for the worst-case scenarios, and they were taught for the sake of the prince who had been mentioned.

And as Nour took the seat next to Grant, he knew that they were all subjects. All for him to command into hell and high waters. For him to decide their fates like a game of chess.

Yet as he stared at Grant and then at his father, who was watching him keenly, Nour couldn't help but feel a different kind of thrill. It wasn't the kind that came with the crown prince and owning everyone in Acrod, no.

It was different.

The kind that would chill even the great werewolf king's bones to the core.

It was the kind that would drive most of the people in this council room mad, and he loved it.

Because he was not just an omega anymore.

He was not just going to be a werewolf or anymore.

He was not even going to be a prince or a ruby wolf.

He would soon be himself.

The untamed prince, Cassius Burda Jr. The monster that monsters would run away from. And his target at the moment was Grant, which made it even more exciting because Delbert had made it his mission to be Nour's executioner.

Oh, how the young prince would have a lot of fun with the bastard enforcer his father had taken to take care of the kingdom of Acrod until he shows up officially.

"My apologies for not sending a letter before my arrival. It was just that my father was murdered, and there were a lot of things for me to work on. An investigation into his death led me to different paths.

"The vigilantes of the Lycan kingdom were the initial suspects, but after a deep investigation with the people of King Unar and his consort, Alanor, all the roads led me back to Acrod. Home.

"…The place that had always been home for all the werewolves. I did not mean to intrude, your majesty," Nour said respectfully, his tone letting everyone know that while he had already shown up and was asking for leniency from the king, this was far from over.

There was an edge to his voice that unsettled most of the people here.

Because Nour knew that they were all Grant's lackeys. They were all owing favors to the enforcer of the werewolf kingdom, and they could be used to take the fall or be implicated if it got too hard.

It was crazy how things had become for them, but Nour was just beginning.

This was going to be exciting, and he would make certain of that.

Perhaps that was why he smiled at his father for a split second, before he turned his attention to the rest of the table, his smile not reaching his eyes, even as he nodded silently, making them think that he was hoping for their support.

He didn't need it.

He never had.

But he would let them think that they had him in their corner, that they would be able to manipulate him, because that was when the wolf prince would strike, and they would never be able to get up from that mess that would follow.

"You are a dutiful one, Lord Lucius. Perhaps after the investigation is complete and your answers are obtained, you could consider taking a seat at the higher table to make the important decisions in Acrod.

"We need people like you, and I know your help will help Grant steer the kingdom in the right direction, don't you think?" King Cassius spoke, and the table went dead silent.

It was as if they were not sure if the king was right in the head for this particular moment.

Giving Lucius Dumont more power was not what they had all expected.

This was almost like they were being forced into a pact that would never make sense, but they didn't even have the strength to say no to the king because well…

He was the king.

The longest-serving king in all of Acrod's history.

King Cassius may not have ruled with an iron fist like the former king of Udrad, Edison, but he was just as vicious if he wanted to be. The council was well aware of that, too, which is why this was not good news for them.

"Thank you for the offer, your majesty, but I'm afraid this is one I just declined this early. I only came for my father; after getting an answer, I will go back to farming. It has always been a favorite of mine.

"Rest assured, I shall be contributing to the development of the kingdom by supplying the needed foodstuffs along with other farmers. I appreciate you seeing me in that light, though. It means a lot coming from you," Nour said.

His father loved the way he responded, like the kid had been practicing over the years. And in that moment, King Cassius wondered what his son's kingship would look like.

Whichever way, there was only one thing he could see happening.

Grant either in the prison dungeons or dead as hell.

Whichever ending for the enforcer, the king was open to it.

After all, the man deserved his very bit of karma, didn't he?

"I will ask again sometime later, hopefully by then you will have fallen in love with the palace and the sittings of the grand council," King Cassius said with laughter, and Nour joined in carefully.

It was a light laugh, however empty, as he had been trained by Ferhat and Farah over the years. It was the kind that no one could see through, and yet one that was evidently bound to make a statement regardless of how complex it sounded.

That was his life now, and he did not like it one bit.

"His majesty is right, though, Lord Lucius. You are your father's son, and he was a man of diplomacy… perhaps you can consider that you keep the family legacy going, seeing as your father served the crown for over a thousand years before his unfortunate passing," Grant spoke up.

Everyone suddenly let out a sigh of relief at the table.

And for a moment, Noru felt disgusted by their relief.

He knew they were relieved that Grant was controlling the narrative.

That Grant would know where to keep Nour and make sure that lord Lucius was well behaved. It was scary what the palace court had been, but then Nour should have expected this already.

This was a palace of pretense and shit, while they made policies that benefited them most of the time. It didn't matter what life was like beyond the castle walls, as long as those within the walls had what they wanted.

Perhaps that was why the queen wanted her son to be brought up away from the confines of the Acrod palace, so he could learn what humanity and dignity looked like and meant from the very beginning, right?

"Well, thankfully, I am still at the palace. Maybe at the end of this investigation, I will find reasons enough to stay and be part of the council," Nour said with a forced laugh.

Grant stared at him with a fake smile.

It was almost sickening to see how much he seemed so convinced that he needed Lord Lucius out of the palace.

Of course, he couldn't say that when the king was here, but the intent was clear, even as Delbert stared at him softly. It was something that they had expected, but the weight of it all was not something they could have anticipated.

But then they had each other, right?

"Of course. It would be a pleasure," Grant insisted, and Nour just nodded with a smile, a sheepish one that he let Grant see through. If they were bound to fool each other, then this wasn't going to be as horrible.

And so, the council meeting continued, with Nour zoning out most of the time. By the end of the meeting, the werewolf prince was snapped back to reality when he felt Delbert's lips kiss his hand…

In front of the council…

And his father.