Tan pouted at Mikael’s teasing but let it slide. Instead, he puts out a hand.

“Give me that earring. I’ll put on a temporary blind.”

Mikael only smiled awkwardly. “Your Highness, you should know better than anyone what it means. Are you claiming me as yours?”

“It’s called a temporary measure. I’ll take the blind off once the party is over.” Tan insisted, motioning for the earring. “Give it.”

Mikael only laughed in defeat as he took off the earring and handed it over to the prince. It didn’t take long for the prince to do what he promised and handed the earring back to Mikael, who could sense a thin veil-like aura surrounding the item.

It must be the ‘blind’ that the prince has talked about. It’s a convenient skill for Alphas not sure yet if they want to imprint on someone but it’s also quite unfair to Betas and Omegas if done against their wishes or if they’re being strung along.

It’s a normal behavior of a jealous Alpha though and Mikael had to tell himself that the prince is only helping him as a friend.

“How was inso? Did she seem okay?” Tan asked as he watched Mikael put on the earring. He’s not sure why but the way Mikael’s fingers move were mesmerizing to the point that he had the urge to take them and touch them with his own hands.

“My sister’s fine. A little down because Father’s going to be late.” Mikael replied, sliding his fingers through the earring to make sure that it’s properly locked in. “Why did you ask, Your Highness?”

“Ah, no…it’s nothing.” Tan said, his voice cracking at that action. “I already told them about a dream I had not long ago regarding her sixteenth birthday. I’m not sure what was the reason for her collapse, that’s why the security around her is tighter than before.”

Mikael’s eyebrows went up at that. “My sister collapsed in your dream?”

“Yes, and it seemed serious—”

Tan was cut off when they heard the announcement that the crown prince and princess had arrived. The two of them returned to the hall to see the dazzling beauty of their siblings as they opened the celebrations with a dance.

With her reddish pink hair tied into a lightly braided romantic tuck, wearing a cream dress accentuated with light purple, and bedecked with expensive jewelries that the crown prince has chosen for her, Siane gives off the vibe of a well-loved princess.

Matching her outfit, Crown Prince Calisto has his eyes glued onto her face, the soft smile on his lips visible to everyone to see that he’s very much in love with her.

As they twirled and danced away, Tan glanced at Mikael whose expression had changed from being flustered about his pheromones leaking out to absolute worry for his sister.

Maybe he shouldn’t have said that to him. Tan knows his brother would take care of it after all.

At the second half of the music, Calisto noticed that Siane’s expression slightly changed from being bright to lethargic, and her flushed cheeks reminded him of the time that his brother got sick for days and then awakened as an Alpha.

Surely, it can’t be…?

“Sisi?” He asked her worriedly but after a turn, she closed her eyes and collapsed, with Calisto catching her in his arms. Her breathing was shallow and she was slowly burning up with fever.

“Casimir! Get Casimir!” Calisto said as he scooped her up into his arms and, ignoring the stunned crowd, swiftly left the hall.

Mikael was about to push himself through the crowd but Tan held him back, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry, she’ll be fine if Casimir is here.” Tan told him. “We have to calm down the crowd first. Will you help me, Heir of Canaels?”

Mikael’s eyes shook at his words before settling down and nodding. They both walked up to the front, getting everyone’s attention.

•×•×•

Casimir is a high priest who is also a close childhood friend of the crown prince. Black hair and blue eyed with a toned body unheard of for the clergymen, everyone thought it was a waste of his good looks and his Omega status that he became a priest but it was for those exact reasons why he entered the seminary.

He couldn’t stand the fact that he’s being treated like a bargaining chip by his family.

Not to mention, he’s not interested in anyone at all, may it be a good looking Alpha or a successful Beta.

Much like the Duke Canaels, he’s done with dealing with obsessive Alphas; the number of times he cringed and wished to disappear whenever he saw or heard Calisto fawn over Siane was more than he could count on both hands.

He’s pretty sure Calisto is doing all of that because he’s afraid of losing Siane to another Alpha who could do better; or better yet, he was afraid that Siane would choose Casimir, as the way she looked at him for the first time was akin to being struck by love at first sight.

It’s a ridiculous but not impossible notion, as there are a few instances that an Omega married a fellow Omega of the opposite sex and did not have any problems producing children.

Casimir mainly went into the priesthood because he’s afraid for his life.

Of course, Siane cleared up the misunderstanding; she only looked at him that way because she thought he was the crown prince before her formal introduction to Calisto.

Casimir was sure she’d be an Omega like her mother and everyone from her mother side was, but as he used healing magic on her in the first room that Calisto brought her into after yelling for him, he realized something unexpected.

“She’s awakening to her secondary trait, that’s for sure.” He said as he eased off his healing. “I’ve made her comfortable enough to get through it. However…”

“However?” Calisto snapped, making Casimir flinch a little.

He knows his friend is already holding back unleashing his aura for his and Siane’s sake, but his tone is so commanding that Casimir wonders if he’s truly only an ordinary Alpha.

“However, she’s not an Omega as we expected, nor a Beta.” Casimir replied, inching away from his friend. “There’s little traces but I can tell that she’s also an Alpha.”

“An Alpha…” Calisto said softly, looking at his betrothed. “That’s not going to be a problem.”

“Are you sure? Mating between Alphas tends to have lower birth rates.”

“Sisi isn’t an incubation machine.” Calisto almost snarled. “There’s more to our love than to procreate.”

Casimir held up his hands in defeat. “I’m only saying that the Court might not view this favorably.”

“I can take away their territories anytime.”

“Now that’s not something you should say easily. They might revolt and make you look like a tyrant in the history books.”

“Do you have a better idea then?”

“Well…no…but I can help. If you’ll let me into the Archives. Maybe I could find some obscure King and Queen who had the same situation as you two.”

A groan from the bed got Calisto’s attention and he quickly went to her side, clasping her hands. When she didn’t open her eyes but tightly held onto his hand, Calisto opened his mouth to say the most ridiculous request that Casimir ever heard.

“I want you to marry us in secret, Cas, once she’s awake. You have the authority right? You can also fix the papers.”

Casimir only blinked. “Yes, I do but…”

“Please do it for us, Cas. It’s the only way for me to feel reassured that they can’t separate us.”

“You know that we have to get the lady’s permission first and her father’s. I can’t officiate if one side does not agree.”

“I’m sure my Sisi will agree. I will have a talk with Duke Canaels after he’s done with the case he’s working on.”