Young Adult Prince

*Chapter 103*

Frederick (Age: 18 years old)

"Do I have to come with Father and Brother Alucard this time, brother?" I asked Azarius.

He looked at me while he was busy making a report for his recent expedition. Then he glanced at Macedonia, his childhood friend and his personal assistant as well. He bestowed the parchment to her.

"Deliver this to the council," he ordered.

"Certainly, Your Royal Highness." Macedonia nodded before she looked at me and curtsied before me. "I shall take my leave, Your Highness, Prince Atticus."

I watched her leave. "Didn't she find her mate yet?" I asked when she left.

"If she ever meets her mate, I will scrutinize him to see if he is fit to be Macedonia's mate," Azarius said as he stood up and stretched out his arm. "About what you said..."

I frowned and reached for his desk, and started to check the paperwork he was working on. "What am I going to do in visiting the swords, shields, and spears noble households?"

"You need to observe since you are going to evaluate them," he said and went to his bookshelves to return the books he read.

"What a dull activity..." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I also want to go on an expedition soon."

I had been begging Father to allow me on my first expedition. That was why I approached Azarius so he could inform Father about it. If he requested it since he was the Crown Prince and would have his coronation soon as the next Alpha King next year, Father might allow me this time to go for an expedition.

I was already tired of running errands and visiting each establishment in the capital for tax collections every quarter.

"Patience, Atticus." I frowned more because Azarius didn't seem like he was bothered at all.

"Easy for you to say. Mother does not even want to approve it. She thinks I am still the little Atticus who is freaking clumsy!" I exclaimed, exaggerated. "I am near my coming of age. I can even look for my mate at my age right now." I released a loud sigh but he only chuckled at my whims.

"What a spoiled brat..." He almost rolled his eyes. "Fine then. I shall speak with Father about your concern."

I hit the table in shock. "Oh, yes! That's wonderful news to me!"

"I cannot promise he would agree, bastard." He nudged me with his elbow.

"He would definitely agree this time." I started rubbing my hands together as if I was concocting some dark plans once Father approved it.

Azarius and I turned our heads when we heard knocks. It revealed Caspian.

"Greetings, Your Royal Highness," Caspian greeted my first brother with a bow.

"Greetings to you, too, Caspian. Is there anything you need?"

"His Majesty is looking for Prince Atticus and wanted to say, they need to depart now," he politely said.

"Fine..." My shoulders slumped upon hearing that. Azarius chuckled at my response. "I will die from boredom for certain. Then I shall blame you for that, brother." I glared at him.

"You are too dramatic. Get lost!" He gestured his hand, asking me to leave already.

I hissed as a response before Caspian and I left my brother's study room. "Where shall we head first?"

"To Duke Jansen's pack where the House of Marquis Argerich is located."

"Ah..." House of Marquis Argerich... They were one of the swords who served their life to the royal lycan family.

They were used to assassinate the traitors who were opposed to us and committed treason against our kingdom. That household had a good reputation since before grandfather died, the first patriarch of the House of Marquis Argerich and grandfather were used to be close friends.

"I heard that Marquis Argerich has a daughter. Does this mean no one will inherit his household, Father?" I asked Father when we were on our way to Duke Jansen's pack.

Father glanced at me. "Probably, he would allow his daughter's husband to be the next head of his household," he said.

"Father," Alucard spoke. "I heard Brother Azarius is working on a draft law allowing a first daughter to be the head of their household. Is that true?"

"Are they going to approve it somehow?" I asked.

"Azarius and I are still debating on it. But it has already reached the royal cabinets so we have to discuss it further," Father answered as he sighed. "That man... He always decides things without consulting me."

Alucard and I exchanged glances. We both chuckled after that.

"His inspiration for that draft law is Lady Macedonia's situation being the firstborn, Father. Didn't you know about that?" Alucard said with a scoffing grin.

"I know, Alu." Father sighed. "As much as I appreciate his good samaritan towards Lady Stallone, he cannot just simply decide on his own without consulting me. He is still the Crown Prince."

"I think it is good that Brother Azarius is starting to work things on his own, Father. It means he is capable of being the next Alpha King," Alucard stated.

"I agree with Alu." I nodded my head. "Brother Azarius is a responsible soon-to-be Alpha King." He was also a great older brother, I might add. Though he was really a frightening one when he got mad at us, Alucard, Alistair, Alejandro, and I wouldn't get to talk back to him.

We didn't get to finish our conversation because we had already arrived. We were greeted by Duke Denzil and Duchess Helen Jansen.

"Greetings, Your Majesty, Your Highnesses," they said in unison.

Father nodded before his eyes roamed around to scrutinize Duke Jansen's pack. "You manage your pack well, Denzil. I am more than impressed," he said before he smiled after seeing the pups playing in the playground.

"I am honored by your praise, Your Majesty, Alpha King Apollo. Thanks to my wife who is the Luna and Nigelle who is the Beta of the Wall Burgundy pack. If it weren't with them, I wouldn't achieve the abundance that my pack is going through right now," Duke Janse said with a bow.

"That is good to hear, Denzil." Father looked pleased with what he said before he roamed his eyes around. "Anyway, I have come here to speak with Nigelle. Is he here?"

"He is in the boot camp along with my Gammas. I shall mind link him to come here." Then he turned to his wife. "Why don't you have some refreshments with us while we are waiting for Nigelle? What do you think, Your Majesty?"

"Don't mind if we do."

I turned to Alucard when he nudged me while we were following Duke and Duchess Jansen to their manor. 'What?' I arched my eyebrow, mind linking him.

'Look on that way,' he replied and pointed from afar. I followed what he was pointing at and saw a little girl who was holding a wooden sword.

My eyes widened when I turned at Alucard. 'She is training a wooden sword?' I looked at him in disbelief.

He shrugged. 'It is my first time that a pack is allowing a woman to hold a wooden weapon. It seems inappropriate,' he said, almost frowning. But his eyes were full of curiosity and astonishment.

'Indeed..." I returned my gaze back to that little lady over there. She was in the training ground having a par with someone. She was also wearing a training uniform. From the looks of it, she was covered with sweats already.

But even so, there was something stirring inside me. I looked around when I came to smell a faint scent of a spring flower. I was confused because I knew that it was autumn now, not spring today. So how could I smell the faint scent of a spring flower?

Most especially, what I was smelling was an exotic freesia.

"Did you smell something?" I asked Alucard after a moment when we were near the manor.

"Smell what?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Smell of... a spring flower," I said, unsure.

"Huh?" He looked at me as if I was insane right now. "Are you alright right now, Ace? This season is autumn. Did you forget it?"

"I know it is autumn but it is weird that I am smelling the scent of spring flowers," I said defensively. I also frowned that Alucard started calling me by my nickname, Ace. My older brothers used to call me that when we were little.

"Perhaps, that may be the scent of your mate, Atticus."

I turned to my Father who had just spoken. I gulped, didn't realize that we were behind him and he happened to hear our conversation.

"Is it? Is that the reason why only Atticus can smell it, Father?" Alucard asked, curious.

"His wolf will tell him anyway, Alu." Father tapped my shoulder. "Just tell me if you find your mate already, Atticus. I shall have you engaged right away." He grinned.

"Father..." I frowned. "I haven't had my expedition yet. You want me to get married. I am only eighteen..."

Father shrugged. "Well... once you get to know your mate, there shall be a possibility you want to marry her right away."

"Heh! Just like what Father did to Mother." Alucard chuckled. "You are so aggressive, Father," he teased.

Father rolled his eyes. "Is that what your mother told you?"

"Yes," Alucard and I said in unison.

Father groaned and almost smacked his face after that. "Adel... That teasing woman..." He huffed before he released a soft chortle.

"Eww, Father. You sound like you want to do something naughty with Mother later. Gross!" Alucard commented.

He grinned. "You shall know what I felt when you meet your mate. I could have sworn you shall not stop having—"

"Father!" Alucard and I said in unison. We had to halt him before he could utter that uncomfortable topic. He would seriously say that to his sons of what he was doing to Mother, wouldn't he?

Unbelievable!

"Is there something wrong?" Duke and Duchess Jansen looked in our way.

Father chuckled and teasingly glanced at us. "No, no. There is nothing wrong."

"What a brazen attitude, Father." I rolled my eyes.

"Indeed," Alucard agreed and even brushed his arms up and down. "I cannot believe that I am going to hear Father talk about his sex life with Mother. Ouch!" I hit my second older brother for being so flamboyant. "What did you hit me, little bro?"

"Seal your mouth, Brother Alucard." I shook my head and focused my attention when we went to Duke Jansen's garden.

"Nigelle said that he is on his way here," Duke Jansen said when he and Duchess Jansen prepared us some tea and snacks.

"Please enjoy, Your Majesty, Your Highnesses," Duchess Jansen said, ushering us to enjoy what they prepared.

I came to taste the peace blossom tea at the first sip. While Father and Duke Jassen started to speak about some matters, I became alert and shivered when I came to smell a sweet-smelling scent.

My wolf stirred as he became agitated. I sat erect as I came to look for that scent again. It was so alluring I couldn't halt myself from being addicted to it. Of all scents I smelled, the smell of freesia would forever be engraved in my mind.

"Alpha! Luna! I am done with my training!"

My head turned in the direction where I heard a shrill voice coming from a little girl. At the same time, the smell of sweet fragrance became stronger than ever which made me shiver as my eyes darted to the little girl wearing a training uniform and was waving her hand in our direction. Her age seemed like around eight or nine.

At that moment, my eyes grew wider when my wolf whispered a spine-chilling word that made me want to bury myself six feet below the ground.

*'Mate.'*