Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I got super busy and didn't have enough time to write this. This chapter took longer because it's not based off any of the original chapters of this fic, but I believe that it will enhance the story and make it that much more exciting for you! I'm got big plans, guys, big plans.

Oh! Also: Just to clarify, in this fic, Nikolai (Who is Yuri Plisetsky's grandfather in the anime) is Viktor and Yuri's father. I just don't want to confuse any of you more than I need to because reading over the original, that was definitely a problem.


"Damn that old man, always sending me on his errands. I'm not his fucking servant!" Yuri growled, smoothing his hands down his front in an attempt to unruffle his feathers in the reflection of the looking glass. "Beka and I had plans today!" He snarled vehemently. The sound died in his throat and his shoulder sagged, fists clenched.

He knew the real reason why he was so frustrated. It wasn't because of the ugly ass painting his father had asked him to donate at the Great Library, or that Otabek and he wouldn't spend the afternoon together. Yuri didn't truly want to see the man right now. A burst of sudden anger built up inside him and he threw his fist into the wall next to the mirror. To his annoyance, the wallpaper-clad wall didn't budge.

Beka came home his morning smelling like omega women.

He cringed at the thought, resenting the hot tears that filled his eye. He bit down hard on his bottom lip, tasting blood.

"That idiot." He spoke softly, feeling strangely drained.

Otabek was his. The man belonged to him. Or at least, he should. Yuri felt that truth deep inside his soul. So why wasn't he flying through the castle with righteous rage? Why wasn't he tearing Otabek a new one? Why didn't he just go up to the man and sink his teeth into him?

"This is stupid." He squared his shoulders. "I'm not some weak omega. I can stand on my own two feet. I don't care if Otabek sleeps with other people." He told himself firmly as he strode towards the door. "It doesn't matter, anyways."

Yuri was escorted by the guard stationed outside his door down to the lower level where the carriage waited outside the large double doors. He climbed inside of his and tapped the front wall to signal that he was ready to depart. The carriage began to roll swiftly through the castle grounds. He stared at the hideous painting on the seat across from him, placed there by a helpful servant. The colours mashed together in a disorienting sort of way. The colours should never have been paired with one another. It was almost as though the painting was meant to make the observer uncomfortable and in Yuri's case, annoyed. If that were the case, then the artist had achieved that goal.

"But why donate it to the Art of Magic Wing of the library?" He leaned forwards, elbows on his knees, happy for a distraction from his earlier thoughts. He winced as he realized his right fist was bruised from when he had taken his anger out on the wall.

Since I have an excuse to go to that particular Wing, I'll have to borrow a few books on spell working when no one is around. He decided.

He purposefully avoided not only the Art of Magic Wing, but also the entire Great Library as a whole. He didn't want any suspicion resting on his shoulders of his true nature. The people might revolt if they knew he was capable of wielding magic. Combine that with his omega status, and he might be in over his head. Looking back to the painting he made a sound of disgust and turned it face down on the cloth it sat on so he didn't have to look at it anymore.

"Who would even want this?! Will they even accept trash like this?" He tsked, but suspected that if King Nikolai referred to a rotting banana peeling on a wooden box as art, people would be falling over themselves to accept it.

People are complete idiots. And so is Beka! He growled low in his throat and crossed his arms. Why wouldn't he meet my eyes? He didn't even try to make an excuse for himself!

The truth was that Otabek probably was trying to say without words that he wasn't interested in Yuri as a mate. Yuri knew that and that it was for the best considering who they both were, and what Yuri was. But he couldn't stop the territorial feelings that threatened to choke him whenever he so much as thought about Otabek being near any other than himself. It wasn't just omegas, either. He wasn't that biased. It was everyone. Yuri hadn't marked Otabek yet, and now would probably never get the chance. The carriage came to a stop, and the knock at the door signaled that the footman would be opening it. Wrapping the painting quickly, he exited the carriage as soon as the doors opened. The Great Library was a huge building with two large halls crossing each other so that each Wing pointed to one of the cardinal points on a compass. The North Wing was dedicated to the Art of Magic, so it's where he headed. The grand entrance was between the South and East Wing and opened into the centre of the compass. It was a cylindrically shaped room with a grand dome arching overhead. Golden delicate metal work adorned it in leafy rivulets what flowed like water down the white pillars. Golden foliage was also pounded into the dark wood of the floor to incorporate the theme. The floor itself was an ornate mosaic of different types of wood, pieced together in a complicated compass, directing the eye towards each Wing which were all guarded by unique sets of doors. The Art of Magic, the Study of Science, the Principles of Society, and the Laws of History each had Wings dedicated to their respective studies. It was quite a sight to see, and Yuri found himself momentarily lost in the splendor he had walked into.

"Your majesty, we are delighted to have you!" The librarian of the north wing bowed deeply, a sly smile on her face.

"I am delighted to be here, Sorceress Minako." Yuri rattled off, thinking he sounded as grouchy as he felt. "I have come to present the North Wing with a donation from King Nikolai." He - as per Nikolai's request - personally handed Minako the hideous canvas.

Unwrapping it, she gasped, that smiling slipping as he gazed upon the gift. The sound was not made in horror as Yuri might have expected but in awe. "We will treasure it always, my prince! Please send the King our warmest regards!"

"I'll do that," he nodded. "Where shall you hang it?" He inquired, more so that he would have an excuse to go into the hall than so he could know where they were going to put it.

Although, he thought, it would be useful to know which part of the wall to avoid at all costs in the future.

"Oh!" She grinned, losing all propriety, grasping his hand and dragging him through there. "Come help me decide where to put it!"

"H-hey!" Yuri shouted, but allowed himself to run after Minako. His men in waiting followed closely behind, not liking that Yuri was being pulled around, but not protesting too much since the Prince didn't seem to be in any immediate danger.

"What do you think about right here?" She held the frame up next to the door they'd just passed through.

I don't want to see that monstrosity every time I come to visit. He decided inwardly.

"How about next to the windows that face north. The lighting will set off the colours." He suggested, willing Minako to go along with his bullshit explanation.

"You're right. It will build energy better there too."

Do what now? But he didn't voice the question. He wanted to get this over this as soon as possible so he could study.

"We would be honoured if you would have a look around, my prince." That sly smile was back. It made Yuri a bit uneasy. It wasn't a smile with any malice behind it, just knowledge.

Logically, Yuri knew Minako was a magic user as well. Could she somehow sense what he was? In any case, she had provided the excuse he desired, and he wouldn't argue with the fates that had obviously stepped in to intervene.

"I would be honored," He grumbled, prompting a chuckling from Minako. He squinted at her, but left her to order around his men in waiting on just how many tiny increments to the lefts she wanted the painting to centre it, no up, no not that far!

The wing was longer than it was wide with the longer walls housing floor to ceiling books; and tables, chairs, and other bookshelves situated comfortably in between them. Yuri wandered the mostly empty wing, the sound of Minako calling out directions fading as he walked further towards the great north facing windows that stretched from floor to arching ceiling. He wasn't surprised at how empty it was. After all, this Wing was less used in everyday practice and more like an archive for old grimoires and journals from past magic users. Most current day magic users kept their abilities a secret since common citizens persecuted them out of fear and often executed them eventually. Minako was incredible because she never once hid who or what she was. Yuri knew that her family and friends from her early years rejected her, but she's fought past that and had built a family of her own. Yuri respected her for that. And respect was hard to earn from the boy.

"Short of the fates stepping in to intervene, I'll never find anything useful!" A woman spoke, moaning in defeat. Yuri heard a soft thump as he rounded the wooden shelf obscuring his view. Hadn't he thought similar words just a few moments ago? She was a brunet, and from her scent, she was a beta. Her head was on the table, shoulders tense, her body shuddering slightly.

Yuri's instincts kicked in and he approached the woman. "Are you alright?" He asked, a trifle gruffly, uncomfortable with the situation.

Her head whipped up and her large honey coloured eyes met his. She blinked her tears away fast and wiped her face with a ratty handkerchief. "Ah, please excuse me. I'm having a hard time finding what I'm looking for." She said politely, a bit less inflection in her words which attested to how hard she was trying to keep herself under control.

"Well, what is it your looking for?" He half demanded half asked.

"My friend has a curse set on him. It's… it's hurting him. And it's going to kill him. I'm trying to find a way to break it." She whispered looking around worriedly.

Yuri was confused. "A curse? What kind of a curse?"

Her eyes darted away from his. "A sort of… enslaving curse? He is forced to obey someone else, and when he doesn't, it takes away his life force at a faster rate, I think, and I just- I want to save him. I'm going to take him away from that man no matter what I have to lose to do it."

And then something clicked. "Is your friend an omega?" He asked quietly.

She startled, eyes wide. "I- please don't say anything, I'm begging you-"

"I won't."

Yuri stared at her steadily while she searched his eyes. Then she nodded. "I can use all the help I can get. He doesn't have much time left."

"I'll help you look." He told her, knowing that his knowledge of magic was likely far superior to her own.

"I'd be so grateful," She breathed out, still looking frazzled.

"My name is Yuri," he informed her, offering her a hand up.

She placed her warm on in his, eyes wide. "The fates truly have stepped in," Her whisper was almost indistinguishable. "I am called Yuuko."

He smiled then, making an effort not to scowl. "What you're looking for would be in defensive magic. You are in the neutral section." He pointed towards a sign where it was inscribed. "The most you'll find here are simply stirring spells to alleviate common illnesses, household remedies, etcetera."

"Really? I wouldn't have known." Her small smile was a grateful one as she followed him into the defensive magic section of the Wing farther towards the windows on the North end.

"I want you to tell me all about this 'curse'." Yuri instructed, motioning for Yuuko to take the chair facing the bookshelves while Yuri inspected the books for anything that might be of use.

"I can mark the difference in my mind now that I'm aware that there is a curse. It happened a few years ago. He was severely punished by the alpha in his house for coming home late, I think. Or some other minor annoyance that set the man on a tangent. Yuuri was broken and bloodied when I saw him next, and it took him months to recover. But looking back Yuuri was never really the same."

So her friend's name is also Yuri? He wondered, but didn't think on it long. "What was different?" He questioned, his accent completely different than hers.

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ears and continued to explain. Yuri began to get the full picture as she spoke. Her friend was in an abusive household. She described him as being cheerful and like any other fourteen-year-old despite having lost both biological parents at a young age and being moved across the world from everything he knew. The change had happened after that particular beating. It had been harsh, but certainly not the worst. Yuuri had begun to seem lifeless, uninterested in anything other than his work at the manor for fear of what Georgi might do to him if anything was not perfect. Georgi currently had some sort of authority over Yuuri that forced him to do his bidding regardless of the boy's free will. When Yuuko had spoken with him, he had described the curse as eating away at part of himself. Yuuri believed that the curse was some sort of entity that would occupy his body after there was nothing left of Yuuri to be in it and had requested Yuuko and their friend Phichit to burn his body as soon as he died later that week.

"He could have at least given you some warning," Yuri growled. "Research like this takes time!"

Yuuko looked supremely annoyed. "He didn't want to give us time! Phichit is speaking to his father and doing research on the magic users of the area while I'm here, but even with all of that covered it won't mean anything if we don't know what Yuuri is cursed with in the first place."

"I know what he's cursed with," Yuri grumbled.

Yuuri jumped from her chair, grabbing Yuri by the shoulders and looking hopeful. "You do?! What is it?!"

He swatted her away playfully and pointed back at the chair. She reluctantly took her seat but was practically vibrating in anticipation. "I don't know for sure, but my best guess would be that your friend is in a Death Bond."

Her eyes grew wide. "That does not sound good." She murmured.

His met her eyes seriously. "It's not."

"A what?!" Back at the palace, Viktor was horrified. He was standing before his father's throne, alone in his presence within the great room.

"You are going to host a ball, Viktor." His father, King Nikolai informed him matter-of-factly. "You are old. Look at your hair!"

Viktor's eyes widened and his hands flew up to cover his head where his hair met his forehead, a little too far back on his head for comfort. He knew it was thinning but how rude! "AH! You are too cruel, father, how could you say such things?!" He cried.

"Viktor Nikiforov Plisetsky, you will find a mate at this party. You have sent away every single suitor I present you with, every single one of them!" Nikolai pounded his fist on the arm of his throne three times to emphasize his point.

Viktor grew serious, squaring his shoulders and clenching his jaw. "One day, I will be king. A king is strongest with his soulmate by his side."

"Is a bondmate not good enough for you?" Nikolai growled.

"No, sir." Viktor stared defiantly. "I will have no other than my soulmate."

"My son, I have grown weary of your games these past years. Our people see you as fickle and immature because you have not dedicated yourself to a bondmate. Your fanciful notions will be the ruin of you. Therefore, you will host this ball, and you will choose a mate that night. Am I understood?"

The alpha in Viktor snarled, the baser instinct of the creature to put the lesser secondary in his place. He shoved the desire down, refusing to act in such a manner. "I will only bond with my soulmate."

Nikolai grabbed a strange homely staff that Viktor hadn't noticed before closer to his body. It looked soft and well used, oiled down and free of shape edges. It was twisted and curved in a way that made it look almost like a magical item itself. "Are you defying your-"

"What is that?" Viktor couldn't stop the question from leaving his lips, reaching for the staff.

Nikolai looked strangely pleased. "Ah yes, as I thought. You would notice this. This was a gift to me from a man who aided an old beta when no one else batted an eye." He reached behind him and put a hand on his back as if feeling phantom pain.

"He gave you a staff?" Viktor wondered, running his hands along the silky birch wood. It was practically glowing from the colour.

"He did. He saved my life. Now it's up to you to save my sanity, host the ball, and choose a mate. I won't be distracted from this, Viktor." He warned his son, taking the staff back from Viktor suddenly.

Viktor frowned. "I won't-"

"If you decline to choose a mate that I approve of at the ball, you forfeit your position of first monarch and Yuri shall be king after I pass instead of you." The King intoned, and all was silent through the great throne room.

Viktor clenched his fists. "I understand, father." He spoke through gritted teeth.

"See that you do. I expect the ball to be hosted no later than a fortnight from this evening." He instructed. "If you are so set of finding your soulmate, might I suggest inviting all unmated citizens, regardless of rank?"

Viktor blinked, surprised at the suggestion. "That would increase my chances," he nodded.

"If you choose to do that, plan the party accordingly." Nikolai jerked his head at the door. "Get on then, boy, you've a ball to plan and a mate to meet."

Viktor exited the throne room and leaned heavily against the closed doors, choking out a strangled whisper. "What am I going to do?"


Let me know what you guys think in the comments! I'd love to know. Who is your favorite character in this fic so far?