THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE HIGHER KING
ZARYA'S POV
I slowly stepped forward. My knee was shaking. The fear was crawling all over my body. The Alpha Kings: Colden, Pyro, and Raiden were in front of the main entrance of the Elemental Kingdom with the Higher King Oswald.
The outcome of our escape would surely cause a whipping session that would cut my back wherein I could not walk or move at all.
"Father." Zephyrus was about to greet his father when King Oswald slapped him on the face. His face was moved sideways, lowering his head.
"You tolerate the wrongdoings of your brother! You're a shame!" The grit on King Oswald's teeth was evident.
I saw the other personality of Zephyrus which was showing his father how serious he was. King Oswald walked faster. When he reached Hali, the sound of the slap echoed in the palace. In front of all the low borns: Omegas, he slapped his two alpha king sons. He was humiliating them as if they were not royal blood.
"The two of you never give me respect! It's not Freedom Day, so why go to the Human World!" King Oswald grabbed his cane that was located at the side and hit Hali over and over again. His shoulder automatically turned red. The slashes were formed as fast as the lightning. The bleeding was there, but I never heard King Water's ache.
"You don't learn your lessons!" King Oswald kept on beating him.
Zephyrus hurried to cover his brother. "Father, please! It's my fault! Don't hurt Hali!" That was King Wind's selfless love for his brother. The amusement for him filled my heart.
"Father!" Colden made his father stopped by walking masking the two of them.
"Get out of the way, King Ice!" King Oswald was so livid that even his hand was shaking. "Don't protect your brothers! You should have your training instead of covering them!"
Colden stood straightly. His kind expression amused his father. "This is the way of my bravery, Father. I may be… coward, but please don't hurt my brothers. I promise I'll beat Hali in the training."
"As if," Hali whispered. It seemed like he was not affected by his wounds.
"How? A coward king for years? That won't change for days!"
I jumped in shock when he hit the three of them. Now, Colden was included in it. He struck them with his cane, causing wounds and bruises to their bodies. He was so brutal with his sons.
"You never learn, huh!" When he noticed that the wounds would never make them bother. My eyes widened when he yanked Kastrid's hair.
"Father!" That was the time, Hali reacted to it. He rushed towards her. "Not her! She's just following my orders!"
"Your whore is so essential to you! From now on, every mistake you did. Your whore will suffer!" She pulled Kastrid's hair, giggling was on his expression. He threw her to the guards. Kastrid dropped on one's arms. "Bring that whore to the Dungeon!" Kastrid f=ought back to them while screaming. The dread was obviously seen in her eyes.
"No! You can't do this to her! Beat me so hard that's fine, but not he一" Hali stopped talking when the Higher King yanked my hair, too. The burning sensation could be felt in my scalp. Hali froze, not talking at all. His eyes were settled to me.
"This one is strong. She didn't even scream." Higher King was amazed by my silence. Yanking my hair would not pressure me. Hali was doing that day by day. "Did you teach the omega to fight and endure the pain?"
The silence filled the whole palace. I could see the worry in Hali and Colden's eyes. When my gaze touched King Fire, the worry was in there, too.
Do they care for me? Care for Hali's Porr Little Thing?
"I am interrogating you!" My right eardrum felt an ache when the Higher King Oswald shouted near my ear.
This would be a huge breaking of rules if he said yes. The omega had no other duties except serving the royals. They should not learn how to handle spears, swords, and other instruments to kill. They were not allowed to use their wolf form to fight, only for running and gathering food. Whoever taught the omegas to fight would be executed no matter what his rank was.
Hali was about to open his mouth, but Pyro pulled him on his back. "I taught her." Pyro bravely spoke.
I had no idea why these Alpha Kings were helping me. I was just a piece of misery, so why help me?
"I taught her, too." King Lightning, Raiden, spoke up, too.
The startling at King Oswald's body was evident. His look interchanged to the two of them. "Me, too." Colden talked, supporting his brother.
"I'm in." Zephyrus lied to save us.
"I'm involved." Hali spelled out those words.
"As we heard what happened to her family, we never hesitate to teach her holding the instruments. She needs protection to herself. We believed that she can fight for the… Battle of the Next Betas." Raiden spelled out those words with his straight stand and a gesture of the Alpha King. His action was making me feel like the true king. The perfect king. "If the battle will be held this year she can win like her… father."
"Father? Who is this whore's father?" King Oswald examined his face. His eyes widened when he was aware of my resemblance to my father.
"The Great Beta, Zakan. The man who gambled his life to ruin the enemies." Colden spoke up with his chin up.
Slowly, King Oswald removed his hands on my hair. "She's not a whore that King Water pick to the Pleasure House?"
"No. She will never be a whore." Hali rushed towards me. He placed me on his back.
"You did right for the first time." King Oswald gazed at Hali. "Make sure that woman will be like his father. Let her join the Beta's battle and if she wins, I'll give her a child, a royal child that will carry the royal title as one of the Prince or Princess." He turned his back at us. "That's a reward for his father heroic acts."
"Instead of you… Can I…" Hali made his father stop by his words. "Can I give her a child instead?"
"Disagreed." King Oswald gazed at Kastrid. "Still, bring that woman in the Dungeon. Let her suffer for King Water's rule breaks."
"Father! Please!" Hali followed him to plea on him.
King Oswald stopped again. "They will bring that whore on the Dungeon or Zakan's daughter… Choose one."
Hali shut his mouth. He looked at me for so long and then at Kastrid. He moved his head down, facing the floor. "Bring Zarya to Dungeon."
What?