Having donned the loose-fitting clothes he followed Isfet back down the stairs to the main dining hall where sat Queen Asha and her mate King Druj.
Isfet pulled out a chair for him and he sat down. Isfet then pulled out his own chair and sat next to him. Which it seemed was not approved of by those within the hall.
Queen Asha herself quirked a brow, "Don't you think you're sitting just a bit too close to Prince Ma'at, Isfet, my son?"
"I do not, Mother. I did not return here to follow protocol. Not when there is a war on the horizon."
Isfet didn't mention of course that they had been alone for some time or that they'd already slept with each other.
Maybe they knew but chose to ignore it. After all, they'd just recently been in the same room.
Around the table, unknown faces grumbled.
King Druj cleared his throat. "Well, be that as it may, shall we start planning for the wedding that is to take place in the morrow?"
Queen Asha nodded. "I believe my King's wedding dress would fit you well, Prince Ma'at."
He spluttered, "Wedding dress!? In case you haven't noticed, I'm a man."
"You're an Omega. And it is a tradition here that the Omega's wear a wedding dress."
He shook his head and glanced up at Isfet who had a grimace upon his countenance.
"Prince Ma'at should be allowed to wear what he would prefer, Mother. It is his wedding after all. Just because some Omega's like wearing dresses does not mean they all do."
Not caring that it just wasn't done, he turned around and wrapped his arms around Isfet. Hugged him tight.
There were loud gasps echoed throughout the hall.
Queen Asha growled and the room grew silent.
Ma'at removed his arms from around Isfet and turned back around in his seat.
"Be that as it may, my son, it is still tradition and all the kingdom will be expecting Prince Ma'at to wear a traditional wedding dress."
Isfet sighed. "I still say it is Prince Ma'at's decision."
He leaned against Isfet and whispered. "I don't like this, but if its tradition I'll wear it. But when we have a ceremony in my Kingdom, I'm going to where what I want." There was no way he was going to let himself be stomped all over in his own kingdom. But this one wasn't his. And he didn't want to upset Isfet's parents too much.
They glanced at Queen Asha.
"I'll wear the wedding dress, but do note it's under duress."
"Very well. That is all I ask. Now I've already sent some messengers out to deliver the news throughout the kingdom. Anyone who hears of it is invited to outside. Some have been given direct invites who can be witness to the actual ceremony itself."
They nodded. Ma'at, underneath the table, grabbed onto Isfet's hand. Their fingers entwined.
King Druj grinned. "Now, what would you like for flowers? The buffet? What kind of drinks? Let's not forget the wedding cake."
Ma'at blinked. "Orange blossoms and white ivy. For food, Isfet's favorites, after all I rather like them too. Water, milk, and mead for drinks. As for the cake, chocolate." He knew Isfet loved chocolate whereas he preferred vanilla, but it mattered not. The food wasn't the important part. None but the vows themselves.
The Queen and her King nodded.
Queen Asha smiled, "Very well. We shall inform the kitchen staff and see if the blossoms you mention are available from the gardens." Her gaze flickered to her son. "Now I think you should find another room for the night, Isfet after you escort Prince Ma'at to the one he's using."
Isfet frowned, but stood up and offered his arm to Ma'at.
Taking his arm he stood up as well and walked with him outside the hall and whispered, "Your mother is..."
"Manipulative and, arrogant, and domineering. But then she is a Queen and an Alpha."
"You were the one who said it, Master Joktar."
He chuckled, "That I did. Now if I'm not mistaken, she'll have her spies out and about making sure your virtue is kept safe for the night until the ceremony tomorrow."
Closing his eyes he sighed as they walked toward their destination, his head resting against Isfet's shoulder. "It was easier when it was only the two of us, or the three of us, Master" he hadn't forgotten about Ri.
"One born to royal lineage can never be alone, my dear Bat. And after our wedding, it won't be but another day then it's off to a march of war."
Opening his eyes they reached the stairs. Climbed them and walked slowly down the hall toward the room he was to stay in overnight. Without his beloved.
"War means death. If only there were some way to take back my kingdom without having to shed a drop of blood."
"If we don't go to war, there will still be bloodshed. Your uncle will not cease the practice of killing, castrating, or enslaving those known to be Alpha's and Omega's."
"I know. I only wish I had my sire's sword to wield."
Stopping in front of the bedchamber door, Isfet turned him so that his back was against the door and he was gazing up into those green, green eyes.
"Prince Ma'at Yarğanat Batlar, you do not need to wield a weapon." He lifted his hands to press a kiss to each palm. "I would keep your hands free of blood, for I know your heart is too kind and forgiving to land a killing blow."
"It's my kingdom, Prince Isfet Khaba Joktar, I should be on the front lines, leading the charge."
"Then, my sweet, I will be at your side. I will be your sword and shield. Should you falter, I will land the killing blow." He brushed his lips over the back of his knuckles. "Will you allow me this?"
"If it is what you wish to do, then I will not deny you, but I do not want to lose you."
"There is always a risk when war is wrought."
Tilting his head back he brushed his lips over Isfet's.
Someone walked down the hall and cleared their throat.
Isfet pulled back from him and frowned. "I wish I could stay with you, darling Bat, but alas I cannot, or neither of us will get any peace nor sleep."
"I know. Sleep well tonight my love."
"And you, my sweet."
He watched Isfet turn and glide down the hall back downstairs, no doubt to another wing so that he was far away from him until the ceremony was to take place.
Turning he opened the door to his current bedchamber and walked inside. Slid the wooden lock home and at the bed, he flounced down, hugged a pillow and buried his head against the down of it and drifted off to sleep.
Light filtered through the window of the bedchamber.
Ma'at groaned and turned onto his other side. Blinked his sleep away and sat up when he heard knocking at the door.
Rising from the bed he walked to the door and asked. "Who is it?"
"We're here to draw you a warm bath and get you ready for the ceremony, Prince Ma'at."
With a shake of his head, he undid the wooden lock and opened the door wide.
"Where's Isfet?"
"He's having his own bath drawn and picking out a robe to wear for the ceremony. You can't see him until you're walking down the aisle."
There were six Omega's and one Beta who walked in. Four of them held the wedding dress that had once been worn by their current king when he had wed their queen.
They placed it on the bed and the six of them proceeded to bring in buckets of hot water and a few to cool it off.
The Beta stepped outside the room to stand guard whilst the Omega's helped him remove his current garb and set into the wooden tub.
"I can wash myself you know."
"Nonsense Prince Ma'at. It is the duty of a servant to see you washed and dressed."
Two of them sat beside the tub. One grabbed a leg, the other an arm and began to wash him.
The others waited. Two of them had brushes in their hands. The last two made sure to smooth out the wedding dress.
Once he had wrest the leadership of his kingdom from his uncle-by-marriage, he'd be sure to make it known that everyone was not only free, but could make their own choices in what they wore. Whether for ceremony or not.
Then again, if it were tradition, then it was a cultural thing in a way and so he'd allow himself to go along with it.
When their hands reached lower beneath the water he grabbed their hands. "I'll wash there. Thank you!" He shooed them away with a glower and began to scrub himself beneath the water. "Please do turn around."
Once they had turned their backs to him, he knelt up to wash his backside where they'd not been able to reach whilst he'd sat in the water.
He picked up a small bucket, filled it with water and dumped it over his head. Thrice. Washed his hair and proceeded to rinse it.
"I need a towel."
One of them turned around and offered him one. "Here you are, Prince Ma'at."
Two others turned and helped him out of the tub.
Rather than let them dry him off he took the towel and dried himself, from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.
One of the omega's asked, "How did you get such definition of your abs?"
He blinked. "I suppose crunches and lifting weights." After all, he'd needed to keep up the appearance of being a Beta, especially in light of his uncles' proclivities.
"Many omega's bodies simply don't seem to allow it."
"Perhaps not, but try hard enough and long enough and anything is possible." Well, almost anything.
The giggled around him and he shook his head. It sounded as if they'd all been raised to be what some considered the perfect Omega.
He was sat on a seat and the two with the brushes began to brush back his hair. It had gotten a bit on the longer side. He'd need a haircut soon. However, it would have to wait as he didn't want to cause any upset among those of the Alaome Kingdom.
Several brushes later, at least one-hundred strokes and he was being stood up so that they could dress him in the wedding dress and the long, long veil that hid his face and trailed down past his feet.
He wondered how on earth he was supposed to walk without tripping on the fabric.
Just then the Beta from earlier knocked, "The bouquet is here."
"Come in," Ma'at called, after all, he was descent.
The door swung open. The Beta walked in and handed him the bouquet. Orange blossoms and white ivy just as he'd asked.
Then he was being given a pair of white slippers to wear and the Omega's, all six, stood behind him to pick up the long train of the dress. He wished he didn't have to wear what they had helped him dress in. He'd always imagined that when he wed he'd be wearing his father's wedding robes. Sure they'd have needed to have been adjusted as his father had been a larger man than he. Not by a whole lot, but at least two sizes and half a foot in height.
Still, the Kingdom of Alohome was not his kingdom, though because he was to wed it's leader's eldest son he'd always have a connection to it.
"Could one of you go get Ri? I'd like him to give me away." It was one tradition he didn't mind. It was only that he didn't have a choice in what he wore that irked him, but he figured it was a small price to pay. Things would be different in the Kingdom of Nyte. Whenever he took his rightful place as its one true King.
"Very well," the Beta bowed and then turned to go in search of Ri.
He took not one step toward the door until minutes had passed and Ri was there.
"Ri, would you mind giving me away? I have no family here," and most of his family, save his one aunt, had long been dead and gone.
He grinned, "Of course!" He offered his arm and Ma'at took it whilst holding his bouquet in his other hand.
Downstairs he could hear the music begin to play.
"Does that mean what I think it does?"
"You should start walking to the great hall Prince Ma'at. Prince Isfet, the King, and Queen will be expecting you. As well as the people."
With a steadying breath he allowed his annoyance to seep away and took one step at a time toward the destination mentioned. His step had to be careful however because the hem of the dress was in his way and he did not wish to trip and fall.
Ri made sure to keep him steady as they walked down the stairs and onto the rug that had been lain out to follow.
Author Note: Thank you for reading thus far! Hope you're enjoying the tale weaved. Would love to know what you're all thinking and what you might be speculating.
I'm open to suggestions too, so feel free to leave a review with those too if you have any!
