The Courtship Trials

Vincent stood in quiet contemplation beside Alfred in Elliot's study. 

A moment later, he put a hand on the butler's shoulder and pointed to the door which Elliot had just left. With an inquisitive yet irritated tone, he questioned, "Is he always like that?"

Alfred raised an eyebrow at the touch but offered a measured response. "Not really," he said, his voice calm. 

Vincent raised his hands in mock surrender. "Guess I'll go meet Lady Leighton now," he said with a wry smile, turning toward the door. As he stepped into the hallway, he glanced back and added, "I can find her on my own." With a casual wave, he dismissed Alfred.

In front of him were the expansive, lush Leighton gardens, teeming with a variety of flowers that Vincent could barely identify. Casually admiring their beauty, he strolled among the vivid colors, his eyes moving from bloom to bloom. His gaze was soon captured by Lady Leighton, who was standing elegantly among the foliage in the distant gazebo.

She saw him and gestured for him to come closer. Vincent approached, readying himself for whatever was to come next. The gazebo featured a small, circular table adorned with a vibrant array of colorful flowers.

"Good day, Lady Leighton," Vincent greeted politely.

Lady Leighton smiled and replied, "Good day, Vincent. Please, call me Carmilla." 

She sat onto one of the benches and gestured for him to join her. Vincent complied, sitting beside her but maintaining a respectful distance.

"Shall we begin?" Lady Carmilla asked, arranging the flowers as she spoke. "Since you're already part of the family, it feels rather silly to go through with a courtship trial, doesn't it?"

Vincent nodded in agreement, relieved to hear her share his thoughts. As he watched her work, he couldn't help but hope she might find a way to spare him from the ordeal entirely.

"But rules are rules," Lady Carmilla continued, her voice soft but firm. "It's a family tradition, and we must ensure our bloodline remains strong." She glanced at Vincent briefly, as if to stress her point, before returning to her flower arrangement. "Alphas and Omegas are becoming increasingly rare," she added with a sigh. Vincent noticed her expression shift, a shadow of sadness crossing her features. "Even the queen hasn't produced an Alpha or Omega heir," she said quietly. "Our kingdom still has no heir."

"If it's a child you're hoping for from Elliot and I, I'm not sure I can offer you one," Vincent replied, his tone defensive. "He refuses to even discuss mating."

"He will come around," she said, dismissing his response with a wave. "First, he needs to see that you're right for him. That's why the courtship trial is necessary." She set the flowers aside and looked directly at him, her gaze unwavering. "All Alphas," she emphasized, "all of them, have courted a Leighton Omega. It's tradition. The strongest claims the Omega."

"It's outdated," Vincent argued. "We should be free to choose a mate based on love."

Lady Carmilla scoffed, her voice tinged with frustration. "Love," she repeated, pausing before continuing, "even arranged marriages are considered outdated, yet look at what the queen has done." Her tone grew sharper. "Your family has long been known for producing Alpha heirs who excel in politics, but now? It's just you."

Vincent's lips pressed into a thin line. He knew all too well the struggles his family faced in producing an Alpha heir, he had no Beta siblings either. His mother, a Beta arctic fox, and his father, an Alpha wolf. "My family has nothing to do with this," he said, his voice steady but firm.

"Let's focus on the matter at hand," she said, returning to her flower arrangement. "You'll undergo three trials: strength, wits, and loyalty." She paused, her tone shifting slightly. "Normally, Alphas would compete against each other, but since you're alone, we'll make some adjustments."

Vincent didn't reply, simply nodding as he waited for her to continue.

"The first trial is strength," she explained. "You'll be duelling Alfred." She glanced at him with a playful smile. "He's a Beta, so it should be easy for you, right?"

Vincent didn't dare underestimate the butler. Lady Carmilla likely knew that Alfred could easily overpower him. Forced, he smiled in response, masking his unease.

"The rest of the trials will happen as is, but know this, now that you've set foot in the Leighton estate, you're being tested every day. Don't get too comfortable." She finished her flower arrangement.

He nodded, a sense of unease settling over him. Before he could ask any more questions, a maid arrived, announcing the arrival of the Leighton siblings and their families.

She clapped her hands in excitement. "Perfect, let's meet them!" she exclaimed, rising to her feet and heading toward the living room. Vincent followed closely behind.

Lady Carmilla led Vincent into the living room where her children were gathered, her voice warm as she introduced him to them. "This is Vincent," she discussed about how the queen matched him with Elliot. 

The family meeting didn't last long, it quickly became clear that the Leightons were more interested in catching up with one another than discussing anything of real importance. The atmosphere relaxed as they settled into familiar conversations, their attention shifting away from Vincent and back to their own dynamics, except Camden.

Camden immediately approached him with a warm smile. "It's good to meet you, Vincent," he said, extending his hand in greeting. Vincent shook it, and Camden continued, "This is my wife, Emilia. We're both Beta lions."

"It's nice to meet you," Vincent replied, relieved to finally encounter someone who seemed normal. He shook Emilia's hand, feeling a sense of ease he hadn't expected.

"Don't worry about what comes next," he reassured with a confident smile. "You're part of the family now, whether our mother likes it or not. The Whitehalls and Leightons are united, and that's not changing."

Vincent wanted to believe his words, but Lady Carmilla's serious tone from their earlier conversation lingered in his thoughts. And then there was Elliot, still refusing to hold a proper conversation with him. It made it hard to feel truly reassured.

It felt as though he was the only one who cared that they were married. Sure, it was an arranged marriage, but that didn't mean they could ignore the need for compromise. They had to find common ground, set some boundaries, or at the very least, lay down some rules. Without that they'd just kept ignoring and arguing with each other, everything seemed pointless.

"Any tips on how to hold a proper conversation with Elliot?" Vincent joked.

Camden chuckled, clearly appreciating the humor. "He'll come around," he said with a shrug.

It was the same response Lady Carmilla had given, nothing more than a vague reassurance. It didn't exactly paint a flattering picture of Elliot's personality.

Vincent glanced over at Elliot, who appeared deep in conversation with his sister. Anne caught his gaze and waved enthusiastically, then gestured for him to join them. Camden gave him a subtle nudge, urging him to go.

Elliot huffed, clearly unenthusiastic about his presence, and ignored him. Vincent then instead focused on exchanging pleasantries with Anne. Vincent extended his hand with a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you," he said as they shook hands. His gaze shifted to Rosalia, nestled in Anne's arms, and he gave a small wave in her direction. Rosalia shyly buried her face in her mother's neck, her quiet response speaking volumes.

"Even Rosalia hates you," Elliot laughed, but this time, his laugh was genuine, a sharp contrast to the mocking tone Vincent was used to. It was a rare sound for him. "Don't worry Rosalia, I will protect you." He then scooped Rosalia out of Anne's arms and started playing with her. 

Vincent scoffed, then turned his attention to Anne. "I'd offer reassurance, but my mother is my mother, and I know her too well," she said with a wry smile.

She continued, her tone softening slightly. "I don't harbor much animosity toward the Whitehalls, but our family traditions mean a great deal to us." She crossed her arms, a hint of frustration in her expression. "Being called 'old fashioned' when you just want to follow family tradition stings a bit, to be honest. I just hope our families can get along without all these complications."

"It's too late for that," Vincent sighed, frustration creeping into his voice. The Leightons had always held a sense of superiority because of their traditions, so it was no surprise that his family resented them. "The queen has already made her move."

Elliot interjected with a sarcastic grin, "How about we just pinky promise the queen that we won't try to outdo each other at parties anymore? Oh, and no more stabbing, too."

The real problem was that with the two most powerful noble families constantly at odds, the queen struggled to maintain control. Her ability to rule was undermined by the relentless power struggle, and with the king's health deteriorating, she had far more pressing matters to contend with. The stability of the entire kingdom seemed to hang by a thread, and the infighting between these influential families only made her position more precarious.