The Alpha Prince's Bodyguard

Chapter 4

Alaric smirks as he walks past Twelve. Even all these years later, it is still just as funny as it was that very first day, and somehow it makes the once-a-month meeting where he actually has to see Rhys’ face so much more tolerable.

For the rest of the month, he can ignore Rhys’ existence, even though they live under the same roof, the castle is so large that he never has to cross paths with his unwanted son, even by accident.

His two large bodyguards move swiftly around him in a practiced manner, opening the two large double doors with a bang as if he needs to make such an announcement of his arrival.

King Alaric walks directly through the middle of the doors. His bodyguards peer at the five young bodyguards, one of whom will take their standing in the near future before shutting the doors behind them. They don't interact at all. Sealing off the five young ones from the events of the meeting, for now they are of too low standard to be allowed in the room. It is one of the few times, outside the bodyguards' own training, that they leave their masters' side, even a door separating them is much more than the usual.

Every other moment of their life is spent in service.

Alaric walks into the room with such purpose, no one ever doubting for a moment who is in charge, he never drops that illusion, even in front of his own family. The guards falling into line behind until he takes a seat, then they stand on either side as a silent guard.

Alaric looks at his five sons, one by one with piercing amber eyes, finally landing on Rhys.

Amber eyes versus amber eyes, in silent competition, the two similar sets of eyes displaying equal parts of loathing and antagonism.

Rhys is the only one of the five sons that got the amber eyes from him. Every other one has different features and similarities to him. Cody has a likeness like no other, his face almost identical in every other way, but the eyes are so polarizing that any outsider will say that Rhys looks the most like him purely for that one feature.

It is what surrounds the eyes on Rhys' face that Alaric can't stand. The facial features, the hair color, everything just looks so much like her, it has been twenty years, yet the hurt still burns just as bright as it did the very first day.

The only slight, the only rejection to have happened in his otherwise illustrious life and Rhys is just a constant reminder of that. One that he can’t rid himself of, even if he wants so desperately.

Rhys has seen that look so many times before, his father rarely says a word directly to him. There is no verbal hate, there are only passive-aggressive comments, but he knows that there are many hateful words behind his back. It is just all in that hatefilled look and even more hatefilled actions. Alaric trying to cut him down in every way possible. Putting everything from insurmountable roadblocks to mini inconveniences in his path, letting Rhys know at every step that he is not valued.

When Rhys was a child all of it cut so deep. At first, it wasn’t so much the actions, it was just the total withdrawal of love leading to the neglect. As the years passed by, it hurt less and less, normalizing in some sick way until Rhys just didn't care anymore. If his heart was hurt by his father's actions every-time it would be so horrendously scarred that it would fail to beat.

Rhys used to show everything on the surface, and he got better at hiding and compartmentalizing everything, burying it all so deep. He was far too young to swallow such pain, but it was the only way to survive. A weakness can be played upon, so it is much easier not to show any weakness.

On that day, when he was only five years old, he lost two parents. One walked away. Never to be seen again and one rejected him because of the actions of another. He did nothing wrong, yet he was forgotten.

It was tough to bear, but it's strengthened him in some sick way or maybe that is the way Rhys has to look at it to stop the pain bubbling to the surface.

Alaric looks away from Rhys, because even though he is the only person that Alaric can take out his hate upon, he still can't do anything to take him out personally. He thought in all these years that his other sons would do the job for him, but maybe they lack the viciousness that he displayed at a young age. In his time, the competition was much smaller before they reached their twenty-fifth birthdays. So much smaller that it was non-existent.

Because beyond survival of the fittest, there is also survival of the slyest, most ruthless.

Alaric cannot wait for the day that he is able to just get rid of this son in an acceptable way. Everything is about appearance, otherwise this son would have met his end twenty years before. His sons may have failed to take out Rhys in the prelim, but they won’t all fail in the final test. Unfortunately, today is not the day, though it is getting close.

Alaric looks directly over the table to the man seated in the middle of the five, Cody, after Rhys, Cody is the one that looks the most like him. His features are so incredibly similar and personality traits which mimic Alaric’s own, making Cody the favored one.

"It is finally time. As your twenty-fifth birthdays are drawing nearer, it will be time for someone to take the crown. In the next few months the trials will begin, a victor will be decided through a series of challenges…"

Alaric looks at his sons one by one, starting with Shaw, moving to Leiden, then Cody, finally Otis, pride shining in his eyes. Any one of these four could easily take the throne, all talented in their own ways, as expected, all quality candidates.

Good quality bloodlines, all having a variety of skills, each having something that they excel in but each having so many quality attributes.

Each is exceptional and each will bring glory to the crown.

"…Some of you may find it easy…"

Alaric's eyes finally, once again, rest on Rhys. His lips pull in disgust.

".. And some of you may find it impossible…"

It is funny in a messed up way because Rhys should have been the sure bet. Everything else should have been a formality, everyone else should have been a backdrop, merely a way to follow the rules, but it is impossible for Rhys to have been able to prosper in such conditions.

Rhys just stares blankly back at his father. He understands the blatant insult. It'd be impossible not to, but he would never give his father the satisfaction of a reaction.

".. One will win and then that will be it for the rest of you…"

The trials are hard. Many elements are meant to find the best possible leader, but once that leader is found, that is the end of it, measures will be taken to make sure there is no instability within the leadership. There is one chance of getting the title.

Fail and it is up to the winner to decide the fate of the others.

Either they will be stripped of some of their power and sent to live in other packs, too weak to even take leadership of another pack, less than an alpha in a lower pack. Demoted from such a high position to such a lowly position. Unable to make a comeback to the pack or even have a chance to overthrow the crown. The only other option is death, which is the path that Alaric took all those years before.

Four lives in the new king's hands.

"... You will all get the information at a regimented time, so no one has any advantage over the other"

Four brothers have a similar expression, a glimmer of glee in their eyes and a snicker of complacency as they look in their peripheral vision at Rhys, four identical gloating expressions.

While they are all seated forward, hanging on their father's every word, Rhys is leaned back in the chair, one hand on the large solid wooden table in front of him and the other dangling over the arm of the chair as if this is a meeting about something insignificant, instead of something so important that could signify the change the direction of the rest of his life or spell the end of it.

There are five brothers, but there are only four real contenders to the brothers. Knowing that their father will give them whatever he can as an advantage, even if it isn't for their benefit and only a way to slight Rhys. They were born to be in constant competition and, for all intents and purposes, hate each other. Rhys is by far the most despised, a collective hate aimed straight at him which has brought the others closer.

Whether it is ingrained or just from their father's influence, it is hard to distinguish after all these years.

They know that they will be fed information well before Rhys is privy to it, adding a certain level of complacency on their part. Unlike Rhys, the other four boys have regular interactions with their father, meals, activities, training.

While Rhys sees his father for half an hour in this brief meeting every month, the other boys see him almost daily. Alaric goes out of his way to avoid Rhys, but the other boys are free in the king's space and, of course, they take full advantage, trying to gain favor.

The competition is fierce and any leg up they can get they take, each of them having their mothers supporting them every step of the way.

Rhys can feel seven scorn-filled gazes, even his father's bodyguards look at him in such a way, knowing that there is one that will never make it to the end of the trials. Still, there is not a single flicker of emotion on his face.

"... In the next meeting, we will be in the midst of it and I look forward to stepping down, handing this momentous responsibility to one of you"

Alaric smiles at the four boys, completely ignoring Rhys. It makes his heart happy that after this month there will be no need to see Rhys any longer.

The thorn in his side will finally be removed. He will burn that thorn to ashes and dance in the charred remains.

That final connection and final memory will be able to be buried for good, not constantly haunting him with a mere presence.