The study was another glorious display of wealth, with fine furnishings and walls lined with jeweled tomes; the shelves were so high that tall ladders set on casters were placed along them in intervals. The room was circular, with a ceiling that tapered to a point; Azra realized they were inside one of the looming towers he’d seen from the carriage. Though it was beautiful and impressive, the room held the same darkness as the rest of the castle. 

Behind a large table that was covered with detailed maps and battle strategies, stood a man made of the same ominous grandeur as the room… Prince Varyx Vaniya of Privillion.

Though he looked young- perhaps a few years older than Azra- his stature was far more impressive. Dressed in a fine dark green coat of brocade and an expensive black tunic, the man straightened to look at Azra. Short blond hair was swept back away from his pale skin- his eyes the same dark green of his coat. He stood at least a head taller than Azra- his shoulders far broader than Azra’s narrow frame. While Azra was elegant and lissome, this man was pure muscle and thew.

Even standing several feet away, Azra noticed the scent of charred wood and smoke that seemed to hang around the man- the scent of abrasive power and aggression.  

The man’s eyes were hard and sharp as he raised a pale brow, looking over Azra with scrutiny. As he felt the gaze rest on his throat, Azra couldn’t help but wonder if this man could smell him, too. 

After a moment of awkward silence, the man’s gaze shifted behind Azra, saying to the valet, “Thank you Mero, you can leave us now.”

“Sire,” Mero said with a deep bow, before he returned to the hall and shut the door firmly behind him. 

Flinching at the sound of the door snapping shut, Azra met the other prince’s gaze before reluctantly giving him a slight bow of the head. He waited for the other prince to speak, finding himself holding his breath against the scent of him. 

He didn’t have to wait long as the man leaned back slightly to perch on the edge of the table, folding his thick arms over his chest. He stared at Azra down the bridge of his straight nose, his voice deep and commanding as he stated, “Well, you’re finally here…” He grunted, looking displeased as he regarded Azra. “You’re not exactly what I expected.”

Azra bristled, straightening as he fought against the contempt in his voice. “No? You’re everything I expected, Prince Vaniya.”

“You have some nerve speaking to an alpha in that tone.” Prince Vaniya scoffed, his eyes narrowing on Azra’s neck as he said in a low snarl, “You're lucky to even be here; you’re an omega. The inheritance of your nobility and your title is the only reason you stand here before me, instead of being sold to some auction or whorehouse.”

Azra couldn't control himself any longer, rage igniting something deep within his every nerve. There was spark inside him, a shiver spreading up through his hands and arms, and to the very roots of his scalp. His hair darkened, turning black as his magic broke through its concealment with a fury that was too much to bear. “I am a prince, just the same as you-!”

“You may be a prince, but you’re not the same as me. I am a purebred alpha. You’re a bastard tainted with the blood of a fae flowing through you,” he snarled, looking at Azra with disdain. His voice was thick with disapproval as he stated gruffly, “I mean, look at you. With magic seeping through the very fiber of your being, no wonder your existence was so easy to uncover. You can't even control yourself, can you, Prince Lyroth?” He scoffed low in his throat, “Though, given the circumstances, I suppose you and I should be on a first name basis, shouldn’t we… Azra?”

Azra swallowed, letting out a gruff breath before he snapped, “And what circumstance is that, pray tell? You blackmailing my father? Threatening to devastate all of Solvale?” With his voice raised, Azra was glad to see he struck a nerve with Prince Vaniya; the man’s eyes were filled with a restrained temper. When the alpha was silent, Azra boldly stepped forward, his voice dripping with malice as he finally said the words that had been haunting him his entire journey, “Or, Varyx, are you referring to the fact that I am condemned to be your husband?”