Ludicrous Agreement

*Chapter 105*

Frederick

"Father, what in the world? Why was Atticus and I set up for this arranged marriage?!" Alucard asked as he raised his voice the moment we had arrived at the royal palace.

"Because you and Atticus are the ones I assessed for this. No need to make it a fuss," Father said, dismissing my brother.

"Why not Azarius?! He is in his coming-of-age! This is unacceptable! You are favoring your first son again!"

I remained silent. As much as I wanted to chime in, Alucard himself was already a huge blow for this. He was way angrier than I thought.

Father halted and glared at Alucard. "You are trying to provoke me, Alucard?"

"I am not trying to provoke you, Father. I am telling the truth!" Alucard said through gritted teeth. "Prospect, my ass. Why did you not set up Azarius for this arrangement? Instead, you are passing down this responsibility by not allowing your first son to get married!"

"Brother..." I must halt him now. Father didn't look pleased with his accusation.

"Shut up, Atticus." He glared at me. "Voice it out if you are disagreeing with this, too, and help me realize that Father is really being insane right now."

I opened my mouth to say it. But I couldn't. "Um..." What must I say? Should I say that I should be the one who must deal with it?

"Are you done, Alucard?" Father asked in his dangerous tone.

Alucard felt betrayed when he looked at me and returned his gaze to Father. He was about to say another word but someone spoke.

"Because if Macedonia did not find her mate by the age of 35, I told Father and Mother to set me up in an arranged marriage with her."

We looked behind Father and saw Azarius who had just arrived. He was with Lady Macedonia Stallone.

"Huh? Are you insane?" Alucard said. "How about you, finding your mate? Lady Macedonia wasn't even your mate in the first place, first brother. What the hell are you spouting? Are you just insulting us?"

"I consulted Priest Siege if I am bound to have a mate. It says that I am not bound to have one even if I am crowned as the next Alpha King. Macedonia and I already have an agreement that if she cannot find her mate then she and I shall marry each other. And that, she shall be the next Luna Queen of the Sowinski Kingdom."

"Lady Macedonia agreed?" I finally spoke.

She nodded and smiled. "Yes, Your Highness. Azarius said that he wants to get married to someone he trusts and proposes to me. I know it is surprising but I agreed because he and I knew each other for a very long time. But our agreement won't happen if I find my mate until the certain age we agreed on," she explained.

Alucard scoffed. "Why don't you just do it right now? It is really obvious that you like each other but you are trying to set boundaries because of your friendship."

Their eyes widened before they exchanged glances. Azarius and Lady Macedonia started laughing and even exchanged a high-five.

"Nice joke, Alu." Azarius laughed.

"I almost got out of my breath," Lady Macedonia said, laughing before she tapped Azarius' shoulder. But then she realized that she was acting inappropriately, especially that Father was there. She halted laughing and cleared her throat before she bowed her head. "P-Pardon my discourtesy, Your Majesty."

Father gestured his hand, telling us it was fine before he turned at us. "You shall check in Novalie from time to time. Remember that one of you shall get married to her soon. End of discussion."

"But how about the twins?" Alucard asked after a moment.

"Ali and Ale are quite troublesome when it comes to this arrangement, Alu," Azarius said. "They are quite chaotic."

"That's unfair!"

"And besides, Nigelle only wants one husband for his daughter. Not two," Father chimed in. "Halt this madness of yours, Alucard or shall I detain you to the dungeon if you keep being an annoying one." His tone was masked with coldness. "And refrain from questioning my decision anymore. Learn your manners."

With that, Father left us having a heavy, deafening silence. Azarius and Lady Macedonia decided to leave us which I was left with with my second brother who looked infuriated right now.

"Brother..." I spoke and gently tapped his shoulder.

"You should have spoken and voiced out your opinion, Atticus," he said. His voice was calmer now.

"I can't... You are already talking by that time," I said defensively.

"Heh?" He arched his eyebrow. "You are not even against being betrothed to that child soon?"

"O-Of course, I disagree with it... I really wanted to speak with Father but you started lashing out at him." I frowned. I did that to hide what my wolf was trying to insist with me right now. I wouldn't dare to entertain it.

Not right now.

"Right..." He released a sigh. "I shall take my rest now. How about you?"

"I shall head first to my study room. Caspian mind linked me to the fact that I still have unfinished tasks today."

He huffed. "Just do it later. You should retire now. This day is a messed up day." He waved his hand at me. Before he could go upstairs, he happened to meet his personal assistant and part of his elite knights, Elijah. "Bring me some refreshments there."

"Yes, Your Highness," Elijah said and bowed his head.

I looked up and stared at the chandeliers in the center of the room. "Perhaps, I must retire now..." I murmured before I decided to go to my chamber.

I dismissed all the servants who asked me what I needed. I told them I needed some time alone and would retire.

I went to my desk and took my journal as I started to draw Lady Novalie's face. My wolf couldn't halt disturbing me as he wanted me to draw her as soon as possible.

Sketching was one of my hobbies. It once became a lesson that turned into a hobby. I halted as soon as I finished and briskly turned around when someone knocked. It revealed Caspian.

I gestured my hand to have him come in.

"I heard that you and Prince Alucard are engaged?" he said and approached me. "That's her?"

I nodded before I slammed my head on the desk. "We are not engaged. One of us shall be tied up to the daughter of the marquis..." I wanted to slap myself when her face showed up in my mind.

"Did you disagree, Atticus?" He arched his eyebrow and leaned to the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I can't..." I sighed. I glanced at the sketch of that little girl. "You know what's worse than being in this arrangement?"

"What?"

"My wolf told me that she is my mate..." I dropped the most shocking revelation today.

"What?! That's good news!" Caspian's eyes widened. I nodded my head, feeling a little distressed. "Why do you look dejected? Shouldn't you be happy? You have to tell His Majesty that you are the one who must marry her!"

"No." I shook my head. "Caspian, Novalie Argerich is too young to get married! I heard she was nine years old. And by the time I reached 25, she would be 16! Or if Alucard is 25, she would be 14! That is absurd, right?" I stood up and started pacing back and forth, thinking of ways to escape this somehow. "She is too young to get married..." I repeated. "Imagine a noble lady hasn't debuted yet in the noble society yet she is going to get married to someone who is far older than her. Father does want to push it regardless if she is too young by that time..."

I must protect her... I knew my wolf was also worried about her. This would be unfair on her part as well.

She didn't even know that she was my mate. She hasn't communicated to her wolf yet!

"Then, what are you going to do? Do something crazy?"

"I must protect her, of course! I must get her away from this ludicrous agreement grandfather had with the late marquis..." I also wished for her to have a good life and enjoy her youth, not being tied up in marriage at such an early age.

But how must I do that? Father did even want Alucard and I to observe her starting tomorrow until one of us would be even engaged with her.

Of course, I did not want her to be engaged with Alucard. That would make my wolf and me insane.

"So, what? If His Majesty already made a decision, then what shall you do to halt this? Are you going to tell him that you are going to be the one who must engage with Lady Novalie? Then, you are going to break the engagement on your 25th birthday, it is your fault?" he said and chortled. "That's insane if you are going to do that."

I halted and looked at him, wide-eyed. "Caspian... You're a genius!" My face brightened up as I started shaking him.

"Huh? What?" He had a look of confusion. "What do you mean? You are frightening me, Atticus." I smiled wryly, not answering his question. For the next seconds, Caspian had a frightening expression while I nodded my head. "No, no... I am just jesting, Your Highness..." He gulped and stepped back.

"That is a great idea... Lady Novalie deserves to be out of arranged marriage. Right? Right?" I started pacing back and forth.

It all happened one day yet Caspian helped me with the solution I had been dying to think of.

"Atticus... You're insane if you are going to push it. I should have not suggested it... I was just jesting..." He looked worried.

I summoned my hand to halt him. "It is a good idea." I felt relieved as I sighed. "At least, you helped me find a solution in a short span of time..."

My wolf was also relieved by that. I knew... He would agree with me. We couldn't have someone who was that young and didn't know that we were her mate. That wasn't fair.

She must've gotten to find out.

"His Majesty, Alpha King Apollo will kill you if you do this..."

I shook my head. "By that time, Brother Azarius was already the Alpha King..."

"Atticus..."

I inhaled and exhaled, staring at him. "Caspian, help me plan this out in advance," I ordered. "We have seven years to perfect this plan."