The sun's heat was merciless. Though summer had long began the process of coming to a close, Alfred understood that there was no promise of colder weather. No Alpha took a profession such as his and expected much good.
For the kingdom he laboured so fervently for, times were prosperous. The palace was filled with riches, and the Omegas of the land were fertile and bonny. Those living beyond the wealthy grounds of nobility were hardly so lucky. Like himself, a vast amount of Alphas and Omegas lived in wreckage and poverty, wondering when their next meal might be—whether tomorrow or in a week. Alfred laboured to earn his right to eat.
He ate little other than dried cheese and hard bread, yet he was healthy and strong. Thickset and bronzed from years spent under sunlight, Alfred's appearance flocked Omegas to him—a healthy, robust form often meant infallible fertility—but he drove them away, too afraid of being a disappointment in any way. His work was already far more important to him. Being a stableman and tending to such kind horses and mares did not sound hard, but only a noble fool would assume it to be an easy task, and it kept him away from home for nearly all hours of the day. No Omega needed a mate that was unable to offer presence and attention.
The only Omega that Alfred wondered much about was the fair one that had been seemingly confined to the palace. All the other Alphas spoke of him so avidly; both nobles and peasants alike seemed to be beguiled by the beauty that said Omega carried. Alfred knew little about him. Several poor workers spat lewd things about the Omega Princess—that he was a whore, having slept with all of his personal guards, and that any of them would certainly be thrilled to mount the young royal and impregnate him. The stableman was only certain of one thing he had heard, and that was that said princess' name was Arthur.
There was no knowledge other than that, and Alfred often spent time daydreaming while he tended to his favourite mare. Was Princess Arthur a kind Omega, perhaps? One that favoured mercy and justice? He had seen too many acquisitive royals, and it was hard to believe that one might suddenly be cordial, but he had always believed that everyone had a chance to do good.
With one hand firm on a horse and the other holding a soaked sponge used to clean said animal, Alfred turned his head round to see where the sun was currently suspended. Halfway down to the west. Once it fell below the horizon, he was free to go home.
It was a loud bang that stunted his thoughts.
Alfred's head whirled back around, and he watched with wide eyes as the massive doors to the palace spread and slammed shut once more. A small figure with a brisk walk had exited, and he panicked when it began stomping towards him, turning his attention back to the horse before him.
"You. Saddle a horse and come with me—I am not staying another moment here right now." The voice was crisp, very refined, and Alfred immediately followed the order despite being unaware of who it had come from.
This noble stranger was already clambering atop another horse without a saddle, one thin hand fisted within the animal's mane. His eyes were something sinister and pure at the same time; Alfred had never before seen a green so vibrant. They were beautiful, and he resisted the urge to gawk.
"Of—course, sir, of course. Would I be speakin' outta turn to ask you who you are?" The Alpha's voice was stunned as he finally settled atop his own mare. Unused to being approached by noble figures, he could only scramble and fumble, unable to rip his eyes away.
The stranger ignored the question and gave a small nod to the direction they would ride in. "What's your name, lad?" he questioned, spurring his horse on with a quiet whistle. Alfred did the same and kept on the smaller male's tail.
"It's Alfred, sir. Alfred Jones." A vague whiff of the air told him that this man was an Omega. His scent made Alfred's head spin. It was already more than the presence of any other Omega had done for him.
There was no reply from said Omega, who simply looked ahead and continued to press his horse on. It felt as if hours had passed before they stopped, though the Alpha knew it had not been more than ten minutes. A quaint meadow was what they had reached. Bugs frolicked and the flowers relished in the sun's warmth all while Alfred slipped down from his mare.
"Why'd you bring me out here, sir?" he inquired. Alfred's eyes shone sapphire in the light of the day, filled with curiosity, and the noble only scoffed.
"I would rather not be kidnapped by a devious Alpha looking for fun. I was never allowed to learn the skill of a sword, so you are my means of defense," came the answer. Alfred's curiosity didn't yet go away, as this Omega was still a mystery. Before he could even open his mouth, the smaller man did it for him.
"And, to answer your question, I am the Omega Princess Arthur—the fair and dainty, or whatever the hell those nobles say about me now. It doesn't matter."
Silence overcame Alfred in a wave of sudden reverence. Now, he was openly gawking, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. He understood why all of those workers had spoken so lewdly of this Omega. Arthur was beautiful.
"It's nice to meet you, Your Highness," Alfred croaked out, nervousness overwhelming him. Arthur looked miffed to hear the formal title, and Alfred rushed to divert his attention away from that. "Um... why'd you leave the palace? If—If it's my place to ask, that is. I like my head atop my shoulders and I ain't gonna lose it all because I ran my mouth a second too long."
At this, Arthur offered a soft laugh. It was quiet, but it gave Alfred the same feeling he received when observing a clear sky. Clear skies were warm, and so was this Omega's laugh. "You need not worry about something so trivial. I will not lop anyone's head off for simply asking an innocent question."
There was a considerable hesitation to the answer to that question, and Alfred could sense it. Arthur was eerily quiet as he swept his skirts up from the dirty ground and sat upon a patch of grass. "I have refused to see other suitors," the Omega returned. "I cannot stand for being treated as nothing more than a tool for breeding upon my own grounds." He said nothing more. Alfred watched and took notice of how the grass around Arthur swayed and bent to the wind.
"I'm sorry," Alfred finally offered. Slowly, he sat near the smaller male, though soon stretched back across it. "When I was younger, my brother would read all these cutesy stories to me. The Alpha was always brave. They'd fight and tussle and do anything to make their Omega happy, and they'd treat their mates like gods. That's how it should be, yeah?" He had managed to stop himself before a ramble could begin. Arthur looked pensive, and finally chuffed through his teeth.
"If only. Every Alpha I have ever had the misfortune to meet is largely interested in finding what makes their cock the happiest."
A wince left Alfred upon hearing such crude language, and Arthur looked amused. The stableman felt constricted when that jeweled gaze was placed upon him. This Omega had power, and he was making sure that Alfred knew that. "And unless you have come across royal Alpha without such a selfish mentality, that will be the type of man I am told to marry."
"You'll find one. It might be hard, Arthur, but you will. The gods are good to those that behave good." Alfred heard the casual name slip from his lips, and instant mortification crossed his expression, but the Omega pressed a soothing hand to his arm.
"Continue to call me by name, Alfred. Please." Arthur's eyes were the gentlest thing he had ever known, imploring him to obey, and he did so. "I don't hear it enough. My own brothers no longer refer to me by name."
"As long as you call me Alfred, that's dandy," was the stableman's offer. Again, a benign laugh escaped Arthur. Alfred drank it in like the most expensive wine ever sold.
"I do not imagine myself seeing an issue with that. I already find you a pleasant Alpha to be around, and I haven't known you longer than a half hour." Arthur smiled kindly. From the curve of his lips, Alfred could assume Arthur didn't smile often. His chest was tight and his cheeks were warm with humility.
"I've never even talked this much with an Omega other than my own brother. I tend to chase them off," Alfred explained. He turned his head away to hide the warming of his cheeks, and inwardly blamed it upon the sun. "So... thank you for sayin' that."
Arthur looked bemused. "Those Omegas do not give up easily, I assume. For a peasant Alpha, you're incredibly handsome. Any broody Omega would take to you without hesitation."
Alfred smiled in honest sheepishness. He did not know Arthur well. He knew that Arthur was amiable, that he was an intelligent Omega, but that was not well. He did understand, however, that Arthur was capable of kindness to those he did not know well himself. "That's awfully nice of you," Alfred offered, scratching at a bit of stubble on his own chin. "I don't think you should worry about findin' a good Alpha. When one sees you, they'll know that it's you. You seem just a little too smart to end up with someone nasty."
Both men were quiet. Arthur observed a ladybug upon a leaf, and Alfred, his own hands. The sun grew lower with every passing second until their shadows were cast long upon the grass. Behind them, the horses snorted, and one kicked dirt at the other.
"You are a very kind man, Alfred. Thank you for accompanying me out here. It would have been so terribly boring if I were alone." Alfred could feel Arthur's eyes upon him again, watching closely (if not warily) and he offered a crooked smile.
"You don't gotta thank me for a single thing. What kind of proper Alpha would I be if I didn't do my best to soothe you?"
For you, my dove, I would do anything.