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Stiles' heart in thundering in his ears to the point where he literally can't hear anything other than the ringing in his ears and the swirling tornado of thoughts inside his head.
So many scenarios swarm around his brain as he's shoved into his clothes and groomed for the day.
What if Derek lost the final challenge?
Or even worse, what if Derek was the first of the three to be eliminated?
What if Stiles was forced to marry Jackson?
What if Jackson and Derek lost and he was forced to marry a stranger?!
What if hey all somehow die and he's left to live a miserable life alone?!
"Stiles!" the prince is shocked out of his thoughts when his ear is yanked roughly.
"Ow! What?" Stiles looks up to find Erica glaring at him angrily.
"I've been talking to you for the past half hour!"
"I'm sorry...my mind in on over drive right now."
"You're hopeless. I'm done. Isaac is waiting for you by the doors. Hurry."
Stiles can only nod and walk to the gold covered doors in a haze.
Once there, Stiles sees Isaac dressed in expensive clothes just like him. He's standing beside the king with a small smile on his face.
"You look perfect." the king sighs with a find grin as he looks at his son.
"I don't feel perfect." Stiles mumbles before glancing down at his clothes.
Black and Gold set.
"Are you ready?" Isaac asks cautiously. "By sun down, you'll have your husband."
"Don't remind me." Stiles mumbles softly.
"Isaac, may I have a moment with my son?"
Stiles watches Isaac nod before rushing off.
"What is it?"
"Are you happy?"
"What?"
"This was your idea. Tell me, is Romeo out there?"
"...yes. He's out there."
"Derek Hale. I never thought you to be interested in such a quiet boy." the king chuckles, leaving Stiles to gape at his father in surprise.
"How did you-"
"It isn't Jackson. And Eli is a foreigner. It has to be Derek. I can't say I'm disappointed. I know he'll make a great king."
"You say it as if he's already won."
"He has. I see the way to looks at everyone; he's determined not to lose."
"You approve?"
"Completely. You've made a good choice. I'm just surprised he's talked to you."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I've done my own research. Rumor has it that Derek Hale was never one to speak before he met a boy...his name is Stiles. Care to explain?"
"Not really." Genim mumbles nervously.
"My king, it is time." both royals look up to find a guard poking his head through the gold plated doors.
"Of course." the king nods and smiles down at his son. "It's time."
Stiles nods before turning and walking ahead of his father onto the Balcony.
The cheers are deafening today. Applause echoes through the air and when Stiles looks down he's shocked to find that all the commotion is directed straight at him.
He sees the young children looking up at him with wide eyes and gaping mouths. He notices the way older women stare at him with awe struck looks and watery eyes. Most of all...he sees the men looking at him with their fists over their hearts in a sign of loyalty.
The on thing that stands out the most however...is Derek.
He's standing in blood red attire with his head bowed down and his hand other his heart.
He's the only one Stiles sees.
He's the only one Stiles needs to be honest.
"Good morning!" Stiles jumps at the sound of his father's voice. "Today we are gathered to witness the final day of competition. By sun down tonight...my son will have a betrothed. And tomorrow...they will be wed."
Stiles blushes and grins slightly when an uproar of cheers sweeps through the crowd.
"Today's first challenge will eliminate one of you. It is archery...this kingdom's most treasured past time. you will have a single arrow to plunge into the center of a target." as Genim speaks, he sees guards hand the last three males a bow and an arrow.
"The two closest to the target...shall advance." the king adds slowly. "choose your targets."
. . ... . . . ... . . .
The sounds around him seem to drown out as Derek takes his stand in front of his target.
The cheering stops...the people slowly blur out of his sight...and the only thing that's left is Stiles' erratic heart beat.
The King's words are muffled...but he has enough sense to know when to pull back his arm.
"Come on Derek..." Stiles' whisper reaches the werewolf just as he lets the arrow go.
It's like in the books where everything suddenly goes in slow motion.
Derek can hear the point of the arrow cut through the air as it sails towards the round piece of wood ahead of him.
His arrow is the slowest...and it's only when the loud thump of all three arrows hitting wood sounds through the arena that reality sets in and everything comes back in normal speed.
Derek looks down before he can see the other targets...he can't look...he's too scared.
He can hear the crowd's screams and applause...and he can hear Stiles' heart beat...but he still doesn't look up.
Not until he hears Eli curse and throw his bow onto the floor.
"Blasted bow!"
It's only now that Derek looks up to find that the other werewolf's bow had hit the outer most ring of the target...and that his own has landed just besie the red dot in the center.
"Yes!" Derek looks up to find the prince clapping and cheering along with the crowd.
"Moving on: Jackson Whitmore and Derek Hale!" the king shouts with a smile.
Derek can only stare at the target in utter shock. He was moving on.
. . ... . . . ... . . . ... .
"Genim, settle down." Stiles looks over to find his father chuckling.
"How can I settle down? He's moving on!"
"You look like a child." Isaac laughs beside him.
"I'm just happy!"
"We can see that, son."
"Good. Now if you'll excuse me." Stiles grins as he stands proudly. "Congratulations Derek...Congratulations Jackson. Your next challenge...it simple. A king must be intelligent in both the literal sense of the term...and the puzzle sense of the term. A way the brain must place together strategies and fit pieces together much like in a puzzle...in whilst fencing. Which is why...as your final challenge a fencing match will be held. The first to three touches wins."
Stiles smiles down at the final two before nodding and watching guards walk to them both and hand over foils.
Cheers begin to sound again and Stiles watches Derek grin up at him before moving to take his position.
"Good luck, Jackson." Isaac sighs before chuckling and shaking his head.
"He'll need it." the King agrees.
"You two are horrible." Genim mumbles before sitting down between them.
"You're thinking the same thing!" Isaac argues with a smile.
"I never said it aloud."
"Oh, you're so much better!" the king scoffs.
"I am." the prince grins. "They're starting."
. . ... . . . ... . . . . . ...
He's weak. He hides nothing...and that's exactly what Derek needs.
He's already figured out every weak spot the human has...and is more than willing to use every last one of them to win.
"You don't stand a chance." the blonde prince sneers as they stare at each other.
"I should be telling you the same thing."
"You're nothing but an idiot blacksmith. I'll have Genim in my bed within the week."
"Take that back." Derek growls with a glare.
"Why should I? It's the complete and honest truth. He'll be my withering husband soon enough."
"Over my dead body." Derek only waits for the go ahead form a guard before he's lunging and putting every weak spot to use.
The cheering crowd suddenly isn't there and neither in Stiles. at this moment...there's only Derek and Jackson.
"You're a strong man. That doesn't guarantee you a win." Jackson chuckles before countering Derek's attacks.
"Strength may not...but intelligence will. What do you have under your royal mask?"
"Money, charm, good looks...shall I go on?" Jackson retaliates.
"Please, spare me the details of your idiotic person."
"You're one to talk."
"At least I have a higher intelligence level than a bar stool!"
"At least I can offer the prince a life!"
All at once, the crowd and Stiles reappear.
Derek isn't alone with Jackson anymore...and he's struggling.
He's struggling because the reality of his situation has finally set in.
The fact that Derek is fighting for Stiles' hand in marriage actual and he's finalized that if he loses...he'll live the rest of his life watching the boy he's fallen in love with...rule with next to an idiotic blonde bum.
"A life filled of regret and misery isn't much of a life at all."
"Go to hell."
"I'll see you there." Derek mutters angrily.
.. . . ... . .. .
The King can't help but chuckle at his son.
The curious toddler that once explored the castle like it was an alien planet...was now sitting at the edge of his seat, waiting for his future husband. How his little boy had grown up so quickly, he still wasn't sure. But he was sure of one thing: his son would be just fine.
"Come on, Derek. Quit playing around." Stiles growls out with a frown.
The king can only smile slightly at the comment before looking up to find the ebony haired boy push the blonde away roughly.
He knew who the Hale boy was. He had enough knowledge of the kingdom to know very well about all of the Hales. They may not have been considered to be normal by the others in the kingdom...but different was good. At least...for his son it was.
Stiles needed different.
He hated to admit it...but Stiles wasn't perfect. he wasn't normal or even close to it. He was too much for any normal man or woman to handle...and Derek Hale is special enough to match Stiles' uniqueness head on. In fact, the Hale boy might even top his son's uniqueness.
the thought was comforting. and the idea of Genim actually being happy for once in his life...was better than anything in the world.
"Oh my...God." Stiles gasps before jumping up to his feet.
. . ... . . . . ...
Derek's never had the wind knocked out of him before.
All he can say is...never again. The feeling of not being able to breathe makes him panic and the fact that Jackson lunges at him while he's down makes it even worse.
"What's wrong? Can't take a little shove?" Jackson demands with a glare.
Derek bites hit tongue as he gasps to fill his lungs. He knows he has to be the bigger person. He can't let the prince get to him.
"I can practically hear the wedding bells." the blonde sneers.
"You can listen to them from outside the church while Stiles and I say our vows." Derek growls as he lunges forward.