The Alpha Prince's Bodyguard

Chapter 7

It has been fourteen years since he has heard Ve say so many words, that first year he couldn't hear her. It was all just background noise. She tried every way to strike up conversation, to get to know him, to let him know about her, and it all fell on deaf ears. With everything else that was going on in his life, it was hard to hear what she said, blaming her in a way, then knowing deep down that none of it was her fault, she was just caught in the aftermath of his world shattering. Dragged along as he was finding his new norm in the world, hurting her in the process, and maybe he just had to ignore everyone at that stage, whether well-intentioned or not, because so many words hurt, it was easier to just hear none.

"... Are you so oblivious to the fact that I'm tied to you for better or worse, in life and in death, no chance to live a normal life, no chance to make any choices? Even a tiny bit of free time is completely out of the question. My entire life revolves around servitude to you or training, which is still in the pursuit of serving you…"

Ve just has to say it, just to give Rhys a tiny bit of perspective, though she doesn't blame him for such things. That is the job of an elite bodyguard, that is exactly what she signed up for and exactly what her job entails. There hasn't been any deviation from that. A life lived in servitude to a prince in the hope of becoming the king's bodyguard and being at the pinnacle at one stage. Giving their lives for the betterment of a wolf kind, believing in their master to be the best.

None of that is different to what Ve expected coming into this. For most, the reward of such sacrifice is reverence, respect and glory. In some ways, it is a very enviable position and that is exactly the way it is for the other four princes' bodyguards. It is far from that for Ve. It is a life filled with ridicule, disrespect, mocking, underestimation, laughing, hate-filled gazes in reward for that sacrifice.

She gets all the downfalls without any of the perks.

Rhys has never thought about the fact that she is as hated as he is, maybe even more so. The hate he receives from his father is the same as she receives from so many different sources each and every day. At least he receives a smile. A nod of appreciation, basic respect. Even if it is just forced because of his position. She doesn't get the same courtesy.

The bodyguard of the hated man is hated for her position, the one protecting the rejected son must also be hated. Then Ve hits the peak of despise by her very nature.

"...If anyone knows hate, it is me, if someone knows disrespect, it is me, if anyone knows about scaling insurmountable obstacles, it is me. My whole life I have been fighting an uphill battle…"

Rhys has always thought of Ve as the ultimate insult, but she has lived with being a joke at his expense. It also hurt her.

"... None of that matters, if I dwell too much, I forget my purpose and without that I can only flounder and never make progress. There is no point complaining about it because it is just the cards that I have been dealt…"

Rhys stews on the words, she is right, he took out his anger on her, airing his grievance on her and even though he has never really looked at it from her view, she is the only person that has it much harder than him.

If he is drowning in hate, then she is long submerged and floated away.

For some reason, her silence for all these years has made him forget that she is actually a woman with thoughts and feelings, if he feels like he hasn’t been able to talk about it then Ve has never had a single chance. She has been tied to his side for so long, while he is free to have friendships, date, laugh, make decisions, she has none of that, her entire life is dictated by him.

She doesn’t even get her own space, just a small corner of his room, there is no privacy for her. She has never had a chance to have her own love life and, more than that, she has been subjected to his.

A little perspective making his own situation seem a little better. Ve isn’t about to stop at such a critical juncture.

"... You have complained every step of the way and, while I'm not trying to pretend that your life is easy, that you haven't been given unnecessary trials. To some, they would look at you as having a position of privilege and that is essential to remember, there is always someone that has it worse than you, no matter how bad it may seem at the time…"

Ve has told herself that so many times that it is just second nature.

"... Unfortunately, there is no point complaining about it because the only ones willing to listen have no authority to make anything better and the ears that need to hear it are deaf to the words…"

Ve’s anger has halved. Her incessant poking of his chest ceases, and she takes a step back, bringing herself back to the distance she is most comfortable with. She doesn’t move closer to a person unless completely necessary. She is angry at herself for caving in such a way. He was never the source.

Though now that she has broken her silence and now that he is finally listening to her in such a way, she changes tact. Saying words that he needs to hear and words that she has been wanting to say for the longest time.

"... Instead of dwelling on the injustice of it all do something. Throwing a pity party will never help you. If you want more, strive for it. If you want it, take it for yourself"

Rhys just stares at Ve, his mind going a million miles a minute. Far from being the dull person that he has believed she is, everything she says makes perfect sense. He has been self-absorbed.

"Take it for myself?"

He repeats the words as more of a murmur, mulling them over.

"Take it for yourself"

Ve can only repeat it back to him. If there is a motto she has lived her life by, it is that. It is only that for her, no matter how hard she fights for respect, she will never earn it. She does everything for herself, whether it is exceeding her own expectations and goals, it is enough that she's proud of herself and even if it isn't that easy, it is as good as she is going to get.

Her statement finally sinks in. It sounds so simple, but the reality is not so much. He wants the king's title, it is his birthright. He doesn't care about the title and the power itself. He wants it to ensure his longevity. He wants it to make it better to show all the doubters that with everything against him, it is still him that can triumph, it would become a more admirable victory.

If it was so easy he wouldn’t have so many doubts. Outside the king's appointed trainer, each prince has to make their own arrangements for training. Rhys has had so many good trainers, but they only last a month or two before they take better offers elsewhere. Everyone is so easily swayed.

How is he meant to take it for himself if he doesn't have better ability than his brothers? How is he meant to take it for himself if everyone knows every move he has already learned, perfected it and expanded upon it? How is he meant to take it for himself if the others know the game before him?

"You say that as if it is easy. You know I have tried. I have consistently tried to better myself, but with what I am up against, it is just not possible"

"Nothing is impossible if you want it badly enough"

Rhys feels his anger rising once again, the shock has finally worn off. This is the first proper conversation they have had, more than general niceties and scheduling questions. He has revealed so much, and she should know, yet she still says such things.

"If I want it badly enough? You say I need a dose of reality, but I think you're the one that is delusional. My father will never let me get ahead. Any trainer worth anything is easily swayed by my father and turns against me"

There are times that he has been actively sabotaged by his own trainer, instead of progressing with his trainer, it took him a little while to know they had been corrupted. It was usually some tell which was suddenly so obvious after they hid it so well for a few days.

"Any trainer worth anything would never be swayed by money or power"

Ve feels partly responsible. She has searched for trainers, she has researched hard, she has negotiated and then, even when she thinks she has the best of the best, they somehow managed to disappoint her. Their greed is something that she cannot comprehend. Quality candidates are so easily corrupted.

Which means they were never quality to begin with. Her screening process, while thorough, ultimately failed because the powers against them are just too strong.

"And what do you suggest then? It is not like I haven't tried. Even when we hid them they were still found, and then they were still stolen. It was hard to accomplish something impossible"

"You just need the right trainer"

"And where do you suggest getting one from in such a short time? If it was so simple, I would have one by now. The trials start soon. There is no hope"