Isfet and Ma'at kept a wary eye to the door of the room they shared. The innkeeper could turn on them at any moment. More so against Ma'at himself as he was a Beta. Or so he led Isfet and others to believe.
Ma'at walked outside to check if their clothes were dry while the innkeeper was busy speaking with his wife.
He touched the clothing and glanced over his shoulder. Only to find Isfet walking toward him, a grim line to his mouth.
"Bat, you were not to leave the room on your own."
"I was only checking to see if our clothes had finished drying."
He quirked a brow.
Ma'at gulped, "Master." If only he could stop forgetting, but he'd only been saying that for less than a full day. Didn't matter that he was a prince of a nearby kingdom. The rightful heir to the throne his own uncle was trying to wrest from him.
"Are they dry?"
"Yes, Master." He brushed his hands over the material of his clothes and then of Isfet's.
"Bring them inside and we'll get changed. The sooner we leave, the better."
The man didn't need to tell him all of the many reasons. The threat of assassins was the largest, but of course, there were the hostile villagers that were angered by his presence.
"I still want to speak to the people here, Master."
"Once we're dressed and on our mounts, Bat. Let us leave nothing to chance."
He nodded and picked up their garments to follow Isfet back into the inn and to the room they'd rented.
Once within the privacy of their rented room they quickly removed the inn's robes and donned their now river-washed and sun-dried clothing. The second set they'd pack in one of the several traveling bags their mounts carried.
"We should stock up on our water supplies and food, for the mounts as well as us, shouldn't we, Master?"
"True. I don't know if this is the best place for it, but we will need everything we can get, my Bat. Let's peruse the market." He took him by the hand and led him out to the main lobby of the inn.
"We're leaving," Isfet told the innkeeper. They'd already paid beforehand.
"Good," he grunted, "don't come back." He glared down at Ma'at, "Not with that Beta filth."
Ma'at was tempted to scream at the top of his lungs that he wasn't a Beta. But that would give it away to Isfet, and not help the reputation of other Beta's.
He blinked. "I'm sorry if I offend you, Mr. Innkeeper. I am but a human like you. I bleed, like you. Just because I'm not of the exact same sex in every way as you does not make me less than you, nor does it make me more than you. The attitude, however, that is the defining factor, not what I have in my trousers."
Isfet growled, "Bat! Quiet!"
He closed his mouth. Turned his head to glance into green, green eyes. Realized he'd only made that command for his protection.
The innkeeper grunted. "You need to teach your pet Beta to show some respect."
"When I feel he needs to be punished, he'll get what's due. No one and I mean no one gets to tell me how to take care of my lover."
Ma'at felt his knees start to tremble. His Adam's apple bobbed. He glanced in the direction of their mounts outside the door and hoped that there were still enough herbs for him to swallow down. If there weren't, his secret would be revealed and he didn't want that. Not yet.
The innkeeper growled. "Just get out of here. Both of you."
Isfet tugged on his hand and dragged him outside to their mounts. Grabbed their extra set of garments from his other hand and packed them.
"Bat, you're going to have to learn to keep your mouth closed."
"Why should I?" He frowned at him, deliberately forgetting the title by which he was to call him.
"So you don't make enemies. You need allies, remember."
"With allies like that guy, who needs enemies?"
"Bat, if you don't want a sound spanking, listen to me. Do not antagonize an Alpha. Do not try and touch an Omega. Don't even think about touching some other Alpha."
He blinked. "I don't want some other Alpha! And I'm not interested in any Omega either."
"Good. Because you're mine and you'd do well to remember that. And you've forgotten to call me as I asked. We just don't have time for me to correct you. There's much training still to be done, but we have more pressing concerns, my Bat."
He knew he was in trouble, but did Master Joktar had to get him so hot and bothered and look so frightening all rolled into one package he wondered.
With warmth starting to spread through his body, he looked into the pack on his own mount. Sought out a small bag. Picked it up. Frowned at its contents. There was just enough for one more dose.
Quickly spilling the herbs into his hand, he brought it to his mouth. Chewed and swallowed.
"You know, drugs aren't good for you, Bat."
"They're not those kinds of plants."
"Then what are they?"
"Calming herbs," it was a half-truth. He couldn't outright lie to him, but nor did he want to tell him the whole truth of it. However, unless he could find the ingredients he needed at the local merchant stalls the truth would reveal itself and far too soon.
"I see. Still, I'd rather you didn't take them."
"When the kingdom has been reclaimed, I'll stop taking them, I promise, Master."
"Good. Now, lets set our plans in motion." He picked Ma'at up without warning and set him on his mount.
Ma'at winced as he felt an ache in his ass.
"Looks like you're going to have an uncomfortable ride. I'd say I'm sorry, but I can't, not when I know the reason," he smirked and chuckled as he glared down at him from his steed.
Isfet leaped onto his own mount. Took the reigns in hand and turned them to head toward the street of the village where merchants lined up down two rows. Some had to be only visitors, that or they had no roof over their head to call their own.
Ma'at kept a look out for someone selling herbs. Hopped down from his steed. "I'll be right back, Master." He couldn't have him realizing just which ingredients he used in his calming herbs. It was still a recipe known far and wide to many, both Alpha and Omega. And even to many of the Beta's.
The one selling the herbs was a young boy no more than twelve, dressed in tattered clothes with dirt on his limbs and cheeks, as well as in his hair.
"Excuse me, do you have silphium, buckwheat, blue cohosh, and raspberry leaf?"
They blinked at him. "Why would a Beta need these herbs?"
"I'll pay double the asking price if I don't have to answer that."
Their eyes widened and they grinned, a flash of white teeth. Seemed they kept up with some of their hygiene. Or maybe the dirt was just from all of the gatherings of the herbs.
"How much do you need?"
"Enough to last thirty days and thirty nights."
They nodded and began to measure out the herbs, mix it up and place it into sixty smaller pouches. The pouches then were added to a larger sack.
"The usual fee is one silver piece for a pouch. So you owe one-hundred twenty silver pieces or thirty gold pieces."
With a nod, he counted out sixty gold pieces and set them before the young male. "Keep the change."
"You're very generous."
"Where are your parents?"
He frowned. "They kicked me out."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "Beta's are frowned upon. A shame to the family."
"What!? That's horrible. Why do you stay here?"
"I have nowhere else to go."
"You... could come with us." He glanced behind him as Isfet approached. "Couldn't he, Master?"
The boy glanced down, unable to gaze at the Alpha. Shook in his presence as if frightened.
"If that is your wish, my Bat. But we'd need another mount."
"I do not wish to be a bother," the youth spoke up.
Ma'at frowned. "There is no need to be afraid. Joktar will not harm you."
The kid glanced up at him and Isfet. "Really? Alpha's are not kind to Beta's. Ever. Even my own sire..." he trailed off.
"Who?" Ma'at questioned.
"The innkeeper."
"What about your mother?" Isfet asked.
"She's too afraid of him. Whenever she has visited me, she'd get a beating."
Ma'at and Isfet frowned.
Shaking his head, Ma'at stood. "We'll get you a mount, and a change of clothes. You'll have to wash on the river on our way out. Bring whatever you need."
"I don't have much. I won't take long." He got up and started to pack what he had, right then and there. Seemed he didn't have anything at all.
Turning to his Master, Joktar, he shook his head. "I don't know if anyone here would be interested in helping to stop my uncle and help the rightful heir claim the throne of the kingdom."
"You'll still try, won't you?"
"Yes. Despite what we've encountered, I will still ask. I still have hope there are those who do not share the same values as that of the innkeeper, Master."
The kid glanced up at them. "I'm packed."
Ma'at turned. "Good. Go pick out two sets of clothes and who sells mounts around here?"
"An elderly Omega. He's very kind, so there shouldn't be a problem. I don't think."
"Lead the way, kid," Isfet grunted.
"What is your name?"
"Ri, son of Gray."
It didn't take them long to purchase clothing for Ri, and the elderly Omega tried to give him a free mount. But Ri insisted he took some form of payment.
Ma'at and Isfet knew that he'd still gotten a good deal when the old fellow took only five gold pieces in exchange for a young black steed.
Once Ri had gone on his own to bath in the river and change into a set of his new clothing and returned, Isfet turned to him.
"This is the time to make your speech my Bat, or to leave before trouble greets us."
"We're bound to trip over trouble no matter what we do, Master."
Ri blinked at them, confused. "What are you two talking about."
Ma'at looked to him. "All will be revealed soon, young Ri." With a flick of his wrist, he set his mount into a canter and guided him to the center of the town with Isfet at his side and Ri behind them.
Isfet called out first. "People of the village, we have news from afar in the kingdom west of here."
Alphas and Omega's opened their doors. More out of curiosity than anything as they frowned.
The Innkeeper snarled, "What do we want to know about that pathetic kingdom, Beta lover?"
Ma'at frowned at the man. "Your own son is a Beta. No more than a child forced to live in squalor because of your prejudice. But that is not what we came here to discuss."
A hush fell over the small gathering crowd.
One omega, the elderly man who'd they'd purchased Ri's mount from, questioned them. "Then what has brought you here?"
"The kingdom has been taken over by the prince's uncle. A man who is far from kind and would make slaves of all Alpha's and Omega's, if he didn't kill them that is."
There were shouts of outrage.
"They're both Beta's, why should we interfere?"
"All of you are capable of producing a Beta child. I don't know if there are others in the village, but if there is only one, that begs the question, what have you done with them? Sold them off as Beta's sell-off their alpha and omega offspring for cash and worry? I hope not, but what I've seen thus far sickens me."
He turned his mount around to allow him to pace.
"Beta's sicken us. They steal from us. Force us into slavery. Castrate our brethren. Kill us. Use us in their sick games."
"Stop thinking in terms of their sex! You're doing the same thing as they are. Sinking to their level."
"What about you!?"
He took a deep calming breath and glared down at them from where he sat atop his steed.
"If the kingdom can be won back to the rightful heir, the prince has offered to split the kingdom with an Alpha."
"Yeah, and why isn't this prince here? Seems a pretty pathetic prince of cowards."
"The prince is here."
They blinked. "What? Where?"
Isfet moved his mount to stand beside his. "My dear Bat is Prince Ma'at Yarğanat Batlar."
Behind them, Ri's brows furrowed each time they referred to Ma'at as a Beta.
"Why would we help a Beta?"
Ma'at took a deep calming breath before continuing. "Because I want to change the laws of the kingdom that my uncle implemented. That my parents may even have implemented or just not changed from the law when the previous king passed before their reign. No one should be a slave, or castrated, or taken from their loved ones." At the last, he looked to Isfet. "And an Alpha will be ruling over half the kingdom. If we can but wrest it from my uncles' hands and end his sick ways."
His gaze returned to the crowd. "A place where all are equals. Alpha. Beta. Omega. Never to be forced into anything again. Never to be unwanted by a parent because of their sex or whatever identity they choose to go by. The right to be heard without discrimination or rancor."
The elderly omega nodded. "I like the sound of that."
There were three alphas and two omega's who stepped forward. "We'd like to join your cause."
He saw Ri glancing toward his mother, but she turned her head so as not to look at him.
The innkeeper took his wife's hand and led her away from the crowd.
Ma'at sighed, shook his head and then waved to the people. "Very well. By the time fourteen days have passed, meet us outside the city outside the castle walls by the trees that bend toward each other. In the meantime, if you will, send out scouts in twos to tell the news far and wide. It's time to take back the Kingdom. For everyone, not just Beta's."
Other Alphas and Omega's stepped forward while others turned with growls and shaking heads.
He had known from the start it would not be an easy task.
"There is one last thing. A group of assassins has been tasked with following us. While their main target is myself, Isfet too is in their sights. Please watch out for them. Be on guard."
"We will," the alphas growled and the Omega's whined.
Isfet reached over and squeezed his arm. "It's time to go, my prince."
"Yes, Master," he sighed and followed him.
Ri turned his steed in their direction and followed as well. Looking back one last time toward the inn, but his parents never looked his way.
