Page 18 of Ruined by His Alpha King (Reluctant Fae Princes #3)
Seidrik
Seidrik locked his knees, though he knew it to be bad for his back, and stared out across the courtyard as the guardsmen ranked and filed for Stamel.
In their golden finery and armor, it was hard to tell one from the other, and Seidrik only by virtue of his armor being shinier and more ornate. Ornamental.
“I put a sword in each of your hands the day we started training. I tested each of you, and you saddened me.” Stamel paced before the men, chin held high. His own armor gleamed and washed out the flame of his hair almost disappointingly.
It’d been a few weeks since the training started. Weeks of bland food and being ignored by his father and it had done no small wonder for his stomach. It cramped and revolted the bland, beige food. The soldiers, though, they had improved.
Stamel whipped around in place, sword drawn, and Seidrik acted on instinct, blade drawing mid-step to clang with Stamel’s.
The style they taught him in academy was like his armor, for show, and he put on a good one, his step lithe and almost a dance with a blade.
He was no match for Stamel’s brute force, but he kept the alpha at bay efficiently with a few shimmies of his blade and strikes, rattling his opponent’s hilt.
A swirl in step, cross of his legs, thrust, perry, and deflect had Stamel flustering backward, but not falling.
Seidrik whipped his blade around and the motion of his body, the weight of his armor, and the glint of sunlight coming off all the panes of metal about made him stumble and fall back, clattering to the ground in a heap. “Fuck! ”
Snickers and whispers came to an abrupt halt as Stamel whistled the men to attention. “His fall was not my doing!”
Seidrik took Stamel’s soon offered hand and stood, picking his sword up as he did so. “My apologies. I haven’t had good sleep, or perhaps it’s the weather.”
Stamel leaned in with a whisper. “Are you certain? Perhaps I should let you rest tonight rather than engaging you.”
Seidrik cleared his throat. “I’m fine. A misstep.”
“One that could cost you your life.” Alluin’s cold voice interrupted the training. “Son?”
“Apologies, Father.” He bowed politely and stepped back, tending to his sword as Alluin surveyed his men.
“Mm-hmm,” Alluin said, his mouth twisted into a slight sneer before transforming into a cordial smile. “Thanks to Stamel, I’m absolutely certain you did much better than you would have previously. And my men are looking more fit.”
The guardsmen tightened up their formation with a shuffle and earned a nod of approval, more than Seidrik ever got from Alluin. Not even on his nameday.
“There’s a reason why I came out here. I have to ask.
We do not have many strong alphas in my ranks, not with thalms of your level.
Would you mind, terribly, going to the southern border forests and speaking with the nymphs?
We’ve had some mischief about with the crops, and I’ve not been favored by them since I was a lad.
They chase me off and ruin my hunts if I even attempt to go out that way.
” Alluin sneered as if nymphs had no right to protect their ancestral forests.
“I’ll need a fair amount of honey. How much depends on what you’re asking for from them.” Stamel folded his arms and spoke to Alluin as an equal, something that he’d slowly wormed his way into over the prior weeks.
“Mostly to quit freeing the flax sheep and picking the bellflowers before they ripen. The seeds are a staple here for us.” Alluin waved his hand as if the gruel those seeds made were some delicacies.
“Assuredly. Send Seidrik with me and I’ll speak kind words to them. With an offering of honey, they cannot refuse.” They’d been looking for a reason to escape out that way for days, as Seidrik needed to stretch his wings. Among other things. Fucking him had to be a quiet affair.
Tyran had come a few days after they left with his nanny, Kimbel with them. The young beta had been moved to a boarding school in Liaberos under the tutelage of the conservatory to work on his magic, as his thalms were considerably higher than that of the average citizen. Nineteen.
Seidrik spent evenings with Stamel and his son and found the little one quite endearing, if not prone to crying and homesickness.
Alluin broke Seidrik’s wandering thoughts with a snort. “Why bring Seidrik? It’s not as if they’ll respect him any better.”
Stamel changed his expression to something more serious as he approached Alluin with an apologetic expression. “Sir. You do realize that Seidrik has spent a large portion of his life cultivating a good relationship with the nymphs?”
The quiet tone kept people around from hearing it, and Seidrik tended to his sword, wiping it down with oil cloth at the sideline, as if he couldn’t hear it, either.
“Really? He’s not said a word about it. One would think they’d brag about that…” Alluin’s brow furrowed. “You’re certain? ”
“Why burden you with something so simple? It’s no wonder the nymphs have caused chaos with him gone and overburdened. Allow me to help alleviate some of his duties. He already does too much.” Stamel gave Alluin a conspiratorial grin. “Honestly, he reminds me a lot of you.”
Alluin flustered for a moment and sniffed. “My duties do keep me busy.”
Like sitting in your study drinking and reading poetry and mandating new taxes?
“So, would it be too much of a trouble to take over some of his duties and have him attend with me? I’m sure he could talk the nymphs into sense more effectively than I. He even knows the honey they like.” Stamel cut his gaze. “Seidrik? What honey did you say the nymphs prefer?”
“Woodrose and amberfly,” Seidrik said, tossing it casually over his shoulder. If Stamel was putting on a show, so would he. “Is there trouble with the nymphs, Father?”
“I—they’re causing a bit of trouble for the farms. I’m not certain you paid attention to my earlier missive…” Alluin cleared his throat, expression going cold as Seidrik met his gaze.
“I try not to drop eaves on conversations that do not involve me.” Seidrik sheathed his sword and gave his father his full attention. “And you said the nymphs were misbehaving? Not like them.”
“Not at all. As Stamel said, he believes they’re misbehaving because you haven’t been around to see them.
What would you be doing with the nymphs to make them want to cause chaos?
” As usual, Alluin put the blame of the situation on him, exactly why he never told his father he held a good relationship with the creatures.
They knew of his gender, which was a moderate risk, but they knew better than to spread his secrets as he did offer them their favored honey .
“I’m quite certain I’ve done nothing of the sort. It’s likely some of the youth felt they were unsupervised long enough. I’ll speak with the nymphs and bring some honey, make sure none of the hunters are trespassing.” Seidrik gave his father a respectful bow and earned a hum of feigned disapproval.
“See to it at once. Guard, you are dismissed for the day.” Alluin waved a hand dismissively and turned to Stamel. “Please ensure the palace storehouse gives you what you need. And once again, thank you. Your contributions are very much appreciated.”
Alluin turned and strode off, his personal attendant following behind him at the requisite four steps at a stooped caper that Seidrik often regarded as asinine.
“Come, Seidrik. Let us get out of this armor and have a merry little jaunt out to the woods to see why the lovely nymphs are doing away with the source of your paste food fodder.” Stamel blanched a little and Seidrik followed, keeping a few steps behind Stamel until he turned and tapped his shoulder.
He gestured for Seidrik to walk in line with him.
In a low voice, almost a whisper, Stamel said, “Walk by my side. I won’t have it said that I mated an inferior male. What I own is precious.”
Seidrik’s heart fluttered, and cheeks burned fiercely. He cleared his throat and held his head up, keeping at Seidrik’s side as they returned to the armory.
Like he owned the place, Stamel hung up his set, a placeholder for the one that Alluin had commissioned. It’d be ready in weeks and would no doubt be finer than Seidrik’s, which was more for show than anything else. A polished hand-me-down of his father’s from when he was younger and thinner.
From there, they went to the storehouse, obtaining the requisite honey. The storekeeper tallied the jars out with perfunctory flicks of his pen and offered Seidrik a half smile. “I take it that our king has informed you of the issues at hand?”
“I’ve received what information he was given. Please elaborate if you have anything else to add.” Seidrik rocked on the balls of his feet, and the keeper leaned in conspiratorially.
“Well, sir, you didn’t hear it from me, but it’s said that some of the guard has been going out hunting for summer pheasants and were picking the wild climbing cherries the nymphs treasure.” He cleared his throat.
The cherries were a known aphrodisiac and had been all but banned in the kingdom as the only stable supply of them grew where nymphs tended them.
Seidrik had been offered them occasionally by the odd nymph wishing him a good dicking, but he’d ultimately refused.
The nymphs seemed very preoccupied, as a whole, with his love life.
“I see. Stamel, if we verify this, please speak with the men about boundaries?” Seidrik stiffened and nodded a thanks to the keeper, arms laden with jars.
Stamel gave him a polite nod before helping himself to a few of the containers, making light of Seidrik’s load. “More hands, less work. Unless children are involved.”
The storekeeper snorted in agreement.
Seidrik humored a slight laugh and halted as the storekeeper spoke out of turn. “I must say, my prince, you do seem in better spirits. Whatever has changed since your visit to Croatens, I say it’s for the better.”