Chapter Text
A rock skipped rather far across the worn cobble stones before tumbling harmlessly into the trimmed grass, ending it’s travels much less violently and much less climactically than its original projection. A disgruntled huff came from the one who’d sent it flying with a sharp hit of a worn boot toe, golden eyes sweeping away to target something else in his shuffling path.
Was he really the only one?
He knew better; it wasn’t where his mind should have been after such an intense primer; several leaders of varying nations as a mutual audience, or at least representatives for each country. Despite varying representation, there was such a show of status, it was stifling. Some acted like peacocks; displaying what power they could in either escorts or lavish jewels. They eyed each other with sparse conversation and terse introductions. He himself just sat in his day-to-day clothing, no soldiers or assistants following him, no expensive jewelry adorning his every knuckle or hanging heavily around his clavicle. Just his title, plain and simple; Alibaba Saluja; former third prince of Balbadd.
Former.
It wasn’t even a matter of feeling slighted at the fact that it was a past-tense, he was simply nervous at carrying the title of Prince in general, considering negotiations had all but become stagnant involving his birth country. Things were so violently unsettled, and yet, with all the countries here at the table, he had a feeling it was more or less a topic for the back burner.
It didn’t take long for his mind to go other places as each official made their long-winded introductions, reminding each other just so as to what their specific linage was. In particular, it was piqued when he noted Sindrian officials shuffling the guests about to very specific locations or directing conversation, reminding him what he’d overheard as Ja’far had been fretting over last minute details and how it had to be just so.
Status could not be overlooked. And no, it wasn’t what ranking they had personally with their nations or the power they held at the negotiating table. It was a far more delicate and troublesome a matter in play.
There were far more confirmed alphas in one room than was generally ideal.
He distinctly remembered the flurry in which Ja’far was bustling about in preparation for the exceptionally important meeting, having been one of the first to arrive to Sindria himself as it was not very far a journey and he was not a very busy individual concerning his position of political power.
Begrudging as he was about the matter, it benefited him more than not and he had just enough influence, even as a former prince to be held accountable for the affairs of his country as a royal ambassador of sorts. Thus, upon his rather anticlimactic arrival, it was not long before he was vicariously involved in the set up.
He had asked why Ja’far was so uptight about the issue, though looking back on it, it was a rather foolish question as the freckled man appeared to be one of the few officers that had any perspective on the true depth of it all.
“We have over eight of the twelve countries confirmed as guests for this meeting and guess how many of them are also confirmed alphas?”
It turned out to be over half of them, as the white haired wind storm of a man quickly answered his own question, Alibaba feeling the wave of anxiety crash against him with such clarity. He had been subject to a few international meetings in the past, and even just three alphas present became a perilous situation. With tensions high and a natural desire to exert dominance keen as a blade, Alibaba could only predict the kind of atmosphere that would evolve.
He could really only compare it to an ominous far off lightning storm with dark thunder clouds rolling ever so slowly closer.
“Well a little over half is better than most of them, right?” His attempts at optimism were almost immediately swallowed when, as if on cue, a courtier appeared and delivered a message to Ja’far that had him nearly shredding the sleeves of his uniform.
There were, as was most recently affirmed, only three individuals that were not confirmed alpha to be present:
Titus Alexius; ruler and Magi of Reim and confirmed beta. Ren Hakuryuu; fourth prince of Kou, unconfirmed, Alibaba Saluja; himself.
Alibaba saw himself out then, thinking it wise to allow the silvery green eyed beta privacy with his wrath. He was not looking forward to the negotiations, as peaceful as they truly were intended to be. Despite any risk of conflict being virtually nonexistent, alphas were testy in the presence of other alphas and Alibaba, already a youthful representative in a predominantly older audience as it were, wasn’t exactly thrilled to be a part of it.
Having endured the first wave of their talks, is sigh was heavy then, eager to take in a large lungful of the crisp air of the courtyard. He was stretching his arms above his head as a chorus of clicks and pops shuddered through him; muscles stiff as his bones shifted. Only the first part of the negotiations had finished and Alibaba was already utterly exhausted. He knew his focus should have been on the trade and traveling system the countries were attempting to install and instill but it was nigh impossible to ignore.
He had been the only non-alpha present.
As it turned out, Titus would be unable to attend until a fortnight had passed but that was information the golden eyed prince had known from the get go. It was Hakuryuu’s absence that had really left Alibaba utterly defenseless; metaphorically speaking, of course.
He had held his ground relatively well, all things considered, but he had been, albeit entirely in secret, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Kou prince if only to have an ally in both age and status. Impervious as the both of them were upon first being introduced three years prior, they bonded oddly well despite their vastly different societies and made it an effort to keep in touch through letters and other forms of international communication.
“Damn Hakuryuu… ‘delayed’ my ass. I bet he wanted me to be isolated – probably thought it would be funny.” The blond was muttering rather tactlessly under his breath, trudging across the cobblestone path of the flowered courtyard with a sour expression on his face. Regardless of potential spectators, Alibaba continued to rant to himself under his breath, working himself up and making to kick yet another unsuspecting rock and promptly missed, throwing himself off balance and nearly falling over completely. It was only through a matter of untamed arm flailing that he righted himself and fervently peeked around to see if anyone had witnessed his embarrassing blunder.
Whoever had were quick to redirect their attentions and the desert boy with sun-kissed skin decided he would try his luck to locate Morgiana and Aladdin somewhere in the marketplace for lunch; his two close friends absolved of the responsibilities he had to endure and free to roam Sindria at their leisure during their stay.
He wasn’t sure how a member of his Household and his Magi weren’t considered important players in the whole process, but who was he to make rules?
After all, he thought somewhat bitterly, a pout curling his lips downward; even at nearly twenty-one years old, he was still unconfirmed.
It hadn’t been part of a formal arrangement, but not long after entering the threshold of the bustling marketplace in search of something to eat, he nearly bumped right into his magenta-haired companion. With a small cry of her name and a quick apology, he realized then her presence hadn’t been entirely coincidence. His ‘scent’, or so Morgianna had coined it, was easy to track, and especially when he was wound up. Aladdin was only a few paces behind, offering his usual beaming grin and wave of his slender arm, launching right into questions about how the particularly long morning had gone.
At least he could count on his friends to lend an ear when he was feeling frustrated, even if they couldn’t sit with him during politics. They just didn’t realize on this day just how long and detailed he intended to be with his ‘venting’. He spoke around the sweet bread in his mouth, foot kicking the main support of the wooden table they clustered around after being served their lunch from a portly and jolly innkeeper. He had a lot to say. Nothing in particular about politics, but plenty about the stuffed shirts who looked down on him and the exact count of how many alphas were present.
The fourth prince of Kou wasn’t safe from complaint either; Alibaba chewing even harder on the bread he was devouring passionately, eyes narrowed and crumbs tumbling down his chin as he cursed that ‘slippery bastard’ for skipping out so he’d be stranded as the only ‘unconfirmed’.
“Like that has anything to do with politics. They just used it as an excuse to stick me further away. They think it’s real funny to put me back there – all those stupid alphas trying to make the most scent possible at the table. It’s nauseating. I bet Hakuryuu didn’t show because he was confirmed beta and he can’t sit at the table without getting weak at the knees.”
Aladdin and Morgianna exchanged glances as the blond finally swallowed the obscene amount of bread with a painful looking gulp of water.
“I’m sure he has his reasons~” The youngest chimed, swaying his feet back and forth as they didn’t quite reach the floor yet. “He’s a really honorable guy. Maybe he’ll be here later today?”
“Well, even if he does show up, it will only reflect poorly on him.” Alibaba huffed, clearly bitter about the matter as he busied himself with another large mouthful of food.
Morgiana, ever the straightforward one of their little posse, didn’t bat a lash as she remarked in a monotone voice.
“I understand you’re lonely without Hakuryuu-san, but shouldn’t you be focusing on the topics at hand in those discussions, Alibaba-san?”
Alibaba choked, immediately pounding a fist against his chest to dislodge the bit of fish stuck in his throat while Aladdin gently palmed his back in a halfhearted attempt to help his King candidate. Morgiana remained stoic and unmoved at Alibaba’s theatrics.
Once he’d managed to extricate the thick morsel and roughly swallow it down, he directed a flushed face and teary amber eyes in her direction; wheezing his protests incredulously.
“I’m not lonely without him!” He defended boisterously, the spectacle almost convincing if it weren’t so embellished in the first place. “I’m justifiably pissed that he’s not present to fulfill his duties!” Aladdin continued to rub Alibaba’s back comfortingly as he spoke.
“We understand, Alibaba-kun. It’s not easy to hold your position against those who are older and presume to be more experienced than you. Hakuryuu onii-san is, in a way, an anchor to your claims.” Aladdin clarified, ever the peacekeeper and skillfully quick in quelling Alibaba’s fire. The desert boy sighed after a moment, rested his chin in his palm while plucking up a kabob that still sizzled from being freshly cooked.
“These negotiations aren’t terribly difficult or even that risky. Honestly, all it comes down to is just making sure everyone comes to an agreement on the matter which…can be a bit tedious, but everyone wants generally the same thing, so it’s more of a technical matter on employing the mechanics which best work for each country.” He waved the kabob about to emphasize his point, finally taking one of the crisp vegetables at the tip of the wooden spear into his mouth, crunching at it as he continued.
“Really, the undercurrent of it all is international mingling.” Alibaba sighed.
“Mingling?” Aladdin inquired, cocking his head a bit.
It only occurred to Alibaba that both Morgiana and Aladdin were possibly ignorant to the concept and took it upon himself to elaborate; ever eager to be the desired dispensary of knowledge.
“It’s when representatives of different countries speculate the populace of the country that hosts the negotiation and, well, take mates for themselves. It’s a pretty straight forward way to encourage peace and alliances; interbreeding and mixed bloods and all that.” Alibaba took another bite of the speared meal, struggling with the meat before ripping it off and stuffing his cheeks.
Aladdin and Morgiana exchanged looks before Aladdin spoke once more, careful with his words.
“That seems like something you would particularly enjoy, wouldn’t it, Alibaba-kun?”
Although Alibaba’s expression soured, he did not choke as he did before and in fact made to pick up the pace of consumption.
“Well yeah I would like to, but I’m unconfirmed! I can’t claim squat if I don’t have a status which only makes me look like an inexperienced virgin in the eyes of all these alphas…!” Aladdin and Morgiana did well to neglect informing their blond friend that he was, in fact, exactly that.
Alibaba had rekindled his flame and was finishing the stick of meats and vegetables then, heaving up from his seat and thrusting the miniature blade upward in exuberance.
“Just you wait! I’ll show those alphas that I can stand my ground! I don’t need Hakuryuu’s help! They’ll see I’m just a late bloomer, and I’ll be the best alpha yet!” His proclamation had garnered attention from the others populating the restaurant and even gained a few cheers and claps of encouragement; all that was truly needed to satisfy the honey eyed boy before he finished off their meal and determinedly headed off back toward the palace; shoulders squared and nose lifted.
Their next negotiation session was to happen just before dusk and was to be followed up by a small festival in celebration of the first night.
Before departing, he easily agreed to meet up again for the merriments, knowing he would need time to relax after sitting through another round of tedious table talk. Even if he were unconfirmed, it wouldn’t stop him from having a little fun. He was sure Aladdin would be more than on board, as would some of the other members of Sinbad’s entourage that he had befriended over the years. He could make a show of it; prove he knew his way around women just fine without having a confirmed status.
Hell, he’d put some of these politicians to shame with his popularity! Right; he had a name in Sindria! Women were sure to easily come to his side. The soft chuckling that bubbled up from him was just barely contained as he entered the great hall, back into the White Aries Tower with newly found energy. No one would be segregating him to the corner of the table once they saw how masculine and in-control he was.
No, certainly no one forced him to sit at the end of the table as the next session was called, but as the minutes rolled on into an hour or more, he found himself actually glad to be loosely assigned the location. His knees were hunched up under the lavish table, spine softly bent while his teeth kneaded his bottom lip. It was hard to focus on the array of exotic fruits they’d just brought out without finding a soft pang of protest from his lower belly. He wanted to take a recess off to the lavatory, but as the fates had it, he was unwillingly roped into conversation with one of the ambassadors beside him; one morbidly curious as to what the condition of his seaside country was.
Dammit – it was such horrible timing to have a stomach from spoiled meats now. Or perhaps he’d simply had too much bread earlier. He had eaten quite a bit; a bad stress-eating habit was certainly one of his greater weaknesses. With an autopilot bob of his head, his brain processed the easiest out to the situation. Normally it would be prime opportunity to tell his side to the story, to branch out for potential allies for Balbadd’s restoration as a republic, but he found it increasingly hard to focus as the talk aimed directly at him only seemed to upset his stomach more.
Five minutes; it was likely all he needed to scurry off and take care of ‘business’ before he’d be right as rain, but politics were tricky in sinister ways such as this.
He prided himself in his performance despite his upset stomach, keeping it together commendably well and managing to impress the ambassador of Aktia to a somewhat surprising degree. He wasn’t entirely certain why the attentions of the Aktian alpha were honed in on him and his country, but Balbadd was an incredible seaport after all. It was, however, resulting in further upsetting his stomach. Speaking with an alpha was almost nauseatingly intimidating at the moment, and as his luck would have it, the more his abdomen ached, the more attention the alpha paid to him.
It was through the blessings of the ambassador of Heliohapt that attentions were drawn from him and redirected to what goods their country would be willing to trade and from where, considering their location. Alibaba was given a moment to catch his breath, feeling immediately rejuvenated.
Admittedly, he was somewhat displeased at his response to political interaction when dealing with a potentially fierce intestinal parasite. He wasn’t one to buckle under pressure so easily, but there was little arguing the overwhelming pressure he was up against.
He only hoped beyond all hope he wouldn’t start passing gas while negotiating.
It was while he was preoccupied with the horror of potentially stinking up the White Aries Tower that the attention of the Heliohapt alpha was redirecting to him. He nearly jumped as he met lime green eyes, his heart sputtering unexpectedly under the intense gaze, realizing he’d been posed a question and they were expecting an answer.
Stiffening somewhat, Alibaba attempted to force himself to recall the conversation of just moments ago, mouth hanging agape unintelligently while he contemplated the repercussions of asking for a repeat of the question. Sinbad, who sat regally at the head of the table with ringed fingers entwined and amber eyes sharply focused, could easily get away with such a request, but Alibaba was unethically on thin ice as it were.
He could have sworn the entirety of the room heard him swallow.
“…Uh—” was all he managed before Alibaba was suddenly spared of any and all potential humiliation when the large double doors of the sizable room creaked open and a small entourage adorning beautifully arranged ornamentations and garments, dressed in ribbons and flecked with silvers and golds were passing through the threshold to pay obeisance to the ensemble of the room. Ren Hakuryuu was at its center, looking unruffled at his tardiness while still expressing the appropriate amount of remorse for it regardless.
“My humblest apologies for being nearly a day late for the negotiations. Our travel at sea was far more treacherous than we expected.” Hakuryuu’s voice was even and honeyed, a tender sort of baritone that commanded attention despite its absence of acuity.
A wave of Sindrian attendants and officials rose, followed swiftly by Ja’far as the prince was given his due respect by lower ranking officers. Each bowed, though with a polite smile, the prince returned it, humble as ever and sparing no glance as a blond head popped up as well from the far end of the table.
Sinbad slowly rose with a smiling introduction, careful to not make it seem overly friendly in front of the other nations, but it was clear they were in good relations with one another as Hakuryuu was received so quickly.
“No need for apologies. We are still waiting on two more as it stands. You were not the only one caught in the storm, I’m simply happy you were able to arrive safely.” The Magi from Reim had yet to arrive, though Alibaba wasn’t sure whom he meant by the other. The King’s hand extended, vessels jingling as he motioned to Hakuryuu’s designated spot, actually surprisingly close to himself, making Alibaba start slightly as he had assumed that particular spot was for Titus. “Please feel free to join us and have a few refreshments. Ja’far will signal some attendants if you’re in need of anything before we begin the last leg of negotiations for tonight.”
The offer was met with another bow of respect and thanks as the prince strode to take his seat, entourage dissipating behind him with a hand signal to file back out the door they had just swept in through. Gold eyes followed him, expecting the scarred boy to eventually swing his gaze around the room to settle on him and give a proper greeting. Surely he’d been told Alibaba would be in attendance. It was just a matter of minutes, he was sure.
He did his formal greetings to those around him, settled in to sit tall at his seat, but his attentions were gathered to a goblet of cool water before him, then the Sindrian King himself as a few more inquiries came about his travels.
Alibaba’s temple ticked, his jaw flexing before he found another wave of abdominal cramping quickly douse his anger as a hand slipped under the table to press to his stomach while the two nearest him began pressing for questions again.
Damn Hakuryuu – he’d have to catch him at the closing of the meeting before they filed out for festivities. Then he could give him the what-for for being ignored and drag him off to Aladdin and Morigianna for an anticipated reunion.
Considering he lasted long enough to do so himself…this food poisoning appeared to be getting only more aggressive.
Hakuryuu, as it seemed, was respectfully focused, not sparing any consideration in Alibaba’s direction and remaining attentive to the matters at hand. He was quick to take up roles in conversation when addressed and did not hesitate to provide his sentiments and suggestions, appearing to be entirely capable despite his rough travels. If he’d been under threat of death, it did not show what so ever.
Admittedly, Alibaba was impressed at Hakuryuu’s impeccable poise, though felt an ever growing urge to make faces at him from afar. It was only due to the harsh speculation that he too was under that prevented him from doing so. That and his abdomen was coiling in a particularly unpleasant way once more.
It was nearly an hour after Hakuryuu’s arrival, the glow of the golden sun beginning to sink beneath the peaks of the mountain ridge that lined the seashore; honeyed droplets of sunlight dipping into the reaching swirls of plum colored shadows that blanketed the land below. The darkened valley began to bloom with dappled spots of lantern light and if one listened closely, the far off chime of music could be heard. It was nearing the end of their discussions, conversation far more lax as everyone anticipated the festivity of the evening.
It was only then that Alibaba, half paying attention at this point, idly peered about the room and caught Hakuryuu’s gaze with his own. He was startled, visibly stiffening a bit and feeling ready to toss an acidic expression in his direction before Hakuryuu was lifting a hand subtly just above the edge of the table to offer the smallest wave before descending out of sight.
To say Alibaba’s anger was all but entirely snuffed out would be an understatement. Even at the smallest gesture of familiarity, Alibaba felt almost entirely placated, fidgeting in his seat and abashedly offering a similar gesture of greeting. Hakuryuu smiled, a small twitch of the corners of his mouth before all concentration was back to the words being exchanged once more.
“I think that concludes our discussion for this evening. I can tell the lot of us are eager to disperse for the revelries of tonight.” Sinbad’s voice carried across the room, Alibaba perking up and standing to bid the formal farewell to those gathered, a symbolic motion that signaled the end to their meeting.
Nearly skipping his way over to the prince, previous anger entirely forgotten, Alibaba practically tripped on his next step as he caught the ending trails of Hakuryuu’s conversation with the ambassador of Artemyra.
“Apologies, I won’t be attending the festivities this evening. I think it best for me and my crew to rest after our travels, though I’m more than delighted at the invitation. I will be well to partake in them in the coming days of our negotiation.” Ever the eloquent one, he finished his statement with a polite bow characteristic of Kou and made off with the attendants he’d arrived with.
The Balbaddian prince deflated almost instantaneously, the corners of his mouth turning down, his posture slumping marginally. It made sense; Hakuryuu had to be tired after the long journey by sea, especially without time to properly clean up or get his land legs about him. He supposed it was probably for the best that he rest up, especially if he was planning on participating in the days to come. Of course, it still came as a sore disappointment to wait on the reunion he’d been anticipating, perhaps even more so than he’d realized.
But now was his golden opportunity to finally take care of whatever stomach bug was ailing him, so perhaps it was all good timing. He’d get himself right as rain, then join Aladdin and Morgianna for dinner and a little relaxing , already feeling a bit more comfortable with the fact that he was no longer the youngest one there and not the only unconfirmed.
His golden eyes swept around the room, everyone’s tone of voice having changed as they prepared for the famed Sindrian hospitality, though something strange seemed to tickle his senses as his eyes were drawn to the back corner, seeing Ja’far standing with one of the attendants, Kou garbed and looking to be dispensing some sort of news while the freckled man looked a bit troubled. It was one of Hakuryuu’s men, undeniably from the way he was dressed.
Maybe there had been a bit more to the dangerous voyage than Hakuryuu let on. He simply couldn’t help his curiosity as he slowly sifted through the crowd toward the two as they made their parting, though as Alibaba’s got deeper into the masses while they filed out, he found his belly protesting more sharply than before, following with a wave of dizziness as he huffed out through his lips.
He was already second-guessing his approach, but the man he had been heading toward actually came to him first; thin, silvery brows cinched and a comforting hand lifting in greeting. Ja’far had always been attentive to Alibaba’s well-being since he’d first arrived in Sindria years ago. He was personally concerned with all of them; a very admirable trait to his character, despite his rigidness with the King.
“Alibaba, are you alright? You’re looking a little unwell…” Honestly, being asked felt a little more embarrassing than he wanted to admit, but the cramping was subsiding a bit, allowing him to stand taller as he waved a hand dismissively in front of his nose.
“I’m alright – I think I must have eaten something a little funny this afternoon. I think I’m going to head back to my room and just let it settle a little.” He could feel the sharp eyes probing him, but they softened in only a moment’s time, obviously taking his response as truth instead of a cover up to hide some other deep seeded reasoning. Alibaba was known to hide when feeling distressed emotionally after all.
“Alright. I’ll send someone to deliver herbal tea if you’d like. We have a particularly affective recipe for just this sort of thing.”
His head bobbed, pushing blond bangs from his face as he wanted to not appear pathetic in front of someone he respected. The offer was truly appreciated.
“Actually, that sounds perfect. Thank you very much, Ja’far.” He was met with a smile, watching slender hands tuck back into the sleeves of his robes while the second in command took a polite step back to give him the space he appeared to need in recovery.
“I’ll send a messenger to meet up with Aladdin and Morgianna. I’m assuming they’ll be waiting for you, so you just go rest and I’ll let them know you’ll be taking a breather until you’ve recovered.” Again, he nodded his head in sincere thanks, feeling relieved to be under such thorough care and feeling the warmth of the genuine hospitality.
He’d just take the night like Hakuryuu was doing and come back to the table new and fresh, ready to blow the socks of the Kou prince with his negotiation skills. He’d show them all where his true talents laid.
It was only by chance did he happen to catch the last snippets of conversation, apparently a growing talent he had as of late. Someone else had caught Ja’far’s attention and queried something about a seating change or something similar. It would have been of little consequence until he heard the title of the prince he’d just had in mind.
“Sir, you think it would be wise to perhaps move him a little further down? Just out of respect for not knowing his status of hierarchy…” The hushed response he purposefully caught in attempt to snicker at Hakuryuu’s situation only proved to turn everything on its head in a matter of seconds.
“No need. We were actually just informed that the prince was confirmed an alpha two months ago. He should be comfortable in that spot so long as he had no issues today.”
-
Despite Alibaba’s original intension to retreat for the evening, he was staying only long enough to guzzle the stomach soothing tea, burning his tongue in the process, before promptly bursting out into the night. Morgiana and Aladdin were not far behind, the finalis quick to pick up on Alibaba’s distressed scent and finding him fervently lapping a goblet of cranberry wine.
“Can you believe it?!” Alibaba proclaimed with incredulity, slamming the cup down atop the table as it sloshed over the golden rims. Neither Morgiana nor Aladdin needed to inquire as Alibaba readily continued.
“An alpha- an alpha!” He cried, bringing taking two large mouthfuls of a fluffy pastry bread before washing it down with yet more wine.
Aladdin was grabbing Morgiana’s hand and raising it into the air in a celebratory manner then, eyes sparkling and face alight with joy.
“Congratulations, Alibaba-kun! I knew you could do it!” He cheered, though Morgiana’s narrow eyes were giving Aladdin a curative look before shaking her head slightly. Aladdin looked a bit puzzled and somewhat hesitant before both he and the redheaded girl turned tentative attention back Alibaba as he notably bristled, whipping the goblet away from his lips to bark at his friend’s rather insensitive assumption.
“Not me!! Hakruryuu!!” Tears beaded his lashes, honey amber eyes watery with pure frustration before he lolled his head forward to drop it atop the table; the resounding thunk causing the plated contents to shift and clink. Alibaba remained still a moment before softly whining and lifting a hand to bashfully rub his now smarting forehead.
Morgiana came forward, awkward when it came to comfort but always ready to make a charming effort.
“It’s alright, Alibaba-san. Being an alpha doesn’t mean much.” Her reassurance was accompanied by a little twinkle of encouragement in her eyes, Alibaba returning her gaze reluctantly before dejectedly looking away once more.
“I don’t want to hear that from you…” He moaned, Morgiana appearing a bit puzzled before Aladdin was patting her arm in reassurance.
“It’s not helpful to hear that from another alpha, Mor-san.” Aladdin explained before he was taking charge of cheering up his friend, grinning brightly and peering at Alibaba from below. “But Mor-san is right, Alibaba-kun! I’m a beta and I don’t have trouble interacting with women or authority!” It took a moment, but Alibaba was moved enough to peek a glistening eye out from beneath the haven of his arms.
“…I guess…” He admonished softly, Aladdin finding that victory enough as he giggled jubilantly and tossed his arms up.
“Good! Now let’s celebrate your first day of negotiations being over! Teach us how to mingle, Alibaba-kun!” If there was anyone who could pull Alibaba out from such a pitiful state, it was Aladdin. Morgiana also reassured the blond prince that his scent was exceptionally nice smelling that day, something Alibaba wasn’t entirely sure he understood but thanked her for the pep talk nevertheless.
They made merry through the evening, dancing, singing, drinking, eating, and for a time, Alibaba’s illness remained dormant. He became cheerfully drunk, dancing with almost anyone who asked and demonstrated that he was, in fact, not so terrible at it as others may have assumed. His sword play was elegant and light footed, and Morgiana had trained him a little. Coupled together with a good beat and the inhibition of spectacle entirely ineffective, Alibaba was putting on a decent display all things considered.
It was through the graces of his two close friends that he made it to his bed chambers in the Green Sagittarius Tower, flopping down onto the plush bedding with a sigh of serenity before winding his arms around one of the cushions; nuzzling flush cheeks into it and falling into a contented slumber.
--
It was early. He could tell by the lack of lighting through the small window he had that pointed toward the inner courtyard for the tower. Damp, morning coolness clung in the air, typical for the island climate, even this far away from the sea.
He did not feel cool though. In fact, that was part of the reason he’d woken; his skin sticky with a thin sheen of sweat and his pulse pounding in his temple. If this was a hangover, then it must have been a hell of a powerful wine he had the night before. His flaxen head lifted, feeling brimmed with lead while he moaned in protest to the sensation, his cheek peeling from the saliva dampened pillow.
Water.
His hand fumbled for the beaker he knew was waiting, half full at his bedside. It was a handful of seconds before the emptied vessel, clacked it back down to the carved, wooden end table and was reaching instead for the pitcher beside it; upsetting the mountain of cushions he was resting in as they tumbled in a soft avalanche to the floor.
God, he was hot. He peeled his bangs away from his forehead, patting his cheeks after he all but drained the entire pitcher of water. Even while his belly sloshed with the sheer volume he consumed, he felt it wasn’t enough.
A fever – perhaps brought on by the cramping he’d felt last night, he could truly have come down with full-blown food poisoning. But the curious thing was that he didn’t feel any severe urgency to run off to the bathroom; no more than the normal sensation of having to pee after a night of drinking.
And of course…there was the matter of what was between his legs, but that was also normal, particularly upon first waking up. Ignoring the tent of fabric, he went back to what seemed more immediately pressing; namely his urgency to pee, drink more water, and cool down from this uncomfortably persistent heat in his skin
It took quite a bit more concentration than he originally anticipated to simply pee, though he was sure it had at least something to do with the partial stiffness. He didn’t feel the kind of relief he hoped for, and when he eagerly cupped another mouthful of water from the basin provided in the lavatory, it felt far better to splash his face and douse himself than to swallow it.
It was an almost uncomfortable heat that radiated through him in pulses. He’d never imagined Sindria to be a country with such a rapidly changing climate, but upon further inspection, it didn’t appear as though it had changed much from the previous day of exceptional environment as was expected of tropical weather.
“Damnit…maybe I’m allergic to something…” He murmured to himself, feeling as though speaking aloud helped to keep him sane for the time being.
Although he felt somewhat guilty, he was using the near entirety of the basin to completely soak himself, the cool water soothing the burning of his skin and providing momentary respite from the fire of the morning.
Although it had been nigh unbearable upon first waking, after rinsing himself down and laying his nude body across the cool marble floor, humming a forgotten song from his childhood to pass the time, Alibaba finally felt well enough to dress and ready himself for the morning negotiation. It certainly wasn’t the greatest thing to look forward to, but it was to be provided with a bountiful breakfast and a leisurely start to another day of discussion. Alibaba could always muster an audience for good food. Readying himself, he was taking a moment to look over his image in one of the reflective surfaces provided in his room, fiddling with the fluffy gold of his hair before cupping his flush cheeks in slight disdain.
His appearance seemed strangely provocative, as though he’d awoken from a night tumbling in the bed pillows. Puffing his cheeks, Alibaba would reluctantly admit he knew well he did nothing of the sort, but he supposed he didn’t mind the suggestion.
It was the chiming of the tower bells that had him scrambling from his room, skidding to a stop and darting back inside to locate the red rope he decorated his neck with before dashing back out toward the White Aries Tower; tugging on a shoe as he did so.
Hopefully he wouldn’t be the only one stumbling in a bit late. He’d been so caught up trying to calm his strange condition this morning; he’d neglected to keep a close watch on the time. But alcohol had been flowing heavily the night prior and he was not the only one to partake by a long shot. Despite feeling confident he wouldn’t be the only one, he still skittered around the halls, feeling his body temperature rising a bit again as he could only attribute it to his rushing. He’d dealt with fevers during political practices before and he knew he could handle it, but it was best to seem as well as he could before stepping inside. He’d just keep the water coming and go light on the food.
Once the large doors were in sight, he took just a moment to ground himself, slowing to a near halt, straightening out his distinctly Balbaddian garb as the fabric had slipped a bit from his shoulder and hair was still fairly unkempt. A few pats took care of that, followed by some deep breathing to settle his heart rate, though something in the air seemed to stop him from completely settling down. Perhaps it was nerves, knowing he would have to deal with any waves of nausea or other conditions that may arise should it worsen during the meeting.
‘Focus, Alibaba. You can do this. Just don’t think about how your body feels, focus on your duty.’
With a whisper of encouragement to himself, he finally pushed the doors open wide enough to slip through, stepping passed the threshold to the nearly fully manned table. King Sinbad had already begun the formalities of starting the discussion, his voice carrying well, and all attention on him as they had paused in their breakfast to respect their host.
Easy. He could just slip to his seat, excuse himself softly if he needed and then-
The words stopped, the air in the room became thick enough to cut, every single head in the room turned, as if on a swivel, until every living soul was staring directly back at him in utter silence. Alibaba froze solid; feeling his face pale for a fraction of a second, then flush a deep red as his skin positively radiated.
Had he….interrupted something crucial?
The biting silence lasted for only a moment longer, though it felt excruciatingly drawn out as Alibaba’s heart rate was suddenly spiking; thundering against his rib cage while his knees felt as though they were going to buckle at any moment.
That was when Ja’far, standing beside Sinbad, was slamming a hand down atop the table, expression wound so tight and eyes blown wide as he spoke wildly at a high volume.
“Sinbad-sama, would you please excuse me for a moment!!” He did not wait to see if the violet haired king granted him pardon and was marching over to the stunned blond, his steps so hasty they were seemingly leaving trails of dust in their wake.
“Alibaba-san, a word!” Ja’far chirped forcibly, pulling the amber eyed prince from his daze and taking his arm by the crook of his elbow to tug him out of the doorway and into the hallway. He turned back to offer an acrid smile to the tenants of the room and especially those who had risen from their seats and even taken a few steps toward them.
“Please pardon the interruption! Pay no heed to this matter and continue discussions as normal~!” He cooed before promptly slamming the door closed. He was leaning all his weight against it, centered in the palms of his hands and remained petrified in such a position.
Alibaba had absolutely no idea what was happening.
“J…Ja’far-san…?” He attempted meekly, and jumped when the white haired man pulled away from the door to turn to him with the same smile from seconds before; so sharp it could slice granite in half.
“Alibaba-san~! Are you feeling well? You don’t look so good.” He was leading Alibaba quickly down the corridor, arm protectively wound around his waist to keep him upright and well directed with his weak knees; ever the motherly figure.
Alibaba failed to perceive the alternative to Ja’far’s tension, his head far more muddled and the fever seeming to return from the morning, although as they continued down the passage and away from the room packed with alphas, he was finding a bit easier to breathe. He couldn’t help the flush to his cheeks at being so quickly discovered.
“Ah…yeah, I haven’t been feeling too good recently, to be honest. Was it really that noticeable?” He inquired bashfully, never keen on looking weak or irresponsible before his respected elders.
“Absolutely.” The abrupt response was almost enough to make Alibaba jerk, cringing as he still shuffled to keep up, fingers digging into his side as he could feel tension billowing from the silver haired official…not that that was all that rare considering Ja’far’s position in Sindria. But was him being late and looking unwell really all he had done to evoke such a response? Even Ja’Far looked far more irritated than he would expect in a case like this.
“I….um…I’m sorry. I assumed I could just kind of ride it out… I didn’t want to miss the negotiations for a fever-” He could see Ja’far shrugging some fabric over his nose, making something clench in his stomach in worry. Was there something really dangerous going around?! “Sh-should I be worried?”
The hesitation that followed made some of that red flush drain from his cheeks.
“No, it’s just best that you get some rest if you’re feeling feverish. This morning is going to be more casual anyway, so you don’t need to be concerned with missing much.” Alibaba wasn’t so easily fooled. He was, generally speaking, considerably perceptive, especially when it came to tongue in cheek politics.
“Shouldn’t I be there the-“
“No.”
Alibaba was taken aback at the abruptness of Ja’far’s response, blinking rapidly as he was met with a stern look that dissolved into a small smile as sincerity began to show. “I promise I have your best interest in mind.” Despite Ja’far’s earnestness, the desert boy still couldn’t shake the apprehension even with his steady trust in the ivory haired man.
“I think it would be for the best that you rest for now. You wouldn’t want to further worsen your health and afflict the others with the, ah, condition you have. I’ll send a few attendants to assist you if need be.” Ja’far was all formality then, Alibaba entirely at odds of what to make of the situation and feeling as though he were being led in circles, like a puppy told to urgently chase his tail.
“Um…okay…” he stammered, knowing well by then that there was something else entirely that Ja’far was concerned about, yet utterly incapable of discerning what.
Appeased by Alibaba’s compliance, Ja’far beamed and lead him along at the shoulders with a skip to his step, back to his quarters which were, coincidentally, far more isolated than the other guests. He nearly shoved the blond into his room, Alibaba stumbling to catch himself before turning around meekly.
“Ja’far-san, do I really—”
“Please do not leave this room, for your well-being as well as our guests~!” Ja’far interrupted and did not wait to hear out his inquiry, hand encased in his sleeve pressed fitfully to his nose with that overly sweet smile on his face. It was the last image Alibaba got of him before the door was brusquely closed in his face.
Stunned to stillness, Alibaba didn’t move, gaping at the door in complete bafflement as the skittering footsteps of the freckled man echoed away down the corridor.
“...What the hell just happened…”
Regardless of what he thought of the situation or what was really happening, he suddenly had a lot of free time on his hands.... though not a lot of free space. He looked across the expanse of his quarters; not small by any means, but there was very little he could get done cooped up in here other than lounge.
Glancing to the door with a frown, he slowly picked his way back to the pile of cushions he’d disrupted this morning, piling them back up with a bit of breathlessness. He could feel then a little weight of his weakness. The fever probably had not subsided, though he was sure with a little medicine, water, and rest he would be feeling better...assuming this wasn’t some sort of rare disease they were quarantining him for.
He shuddered softly at the notion, though finally leaned down to peel off his boots and climb back into the soft mound, burying his blond head with a light groan of both defeat and comfort at being back in the inviting tumble of cushions.
-
He did not feel better.
In fact, as time passed, his temperature seemed to steadily rise, and rather rapidly at that. He was drinking as much water as his stomach could handle without popping, though he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling of being completely parched and deprived.
An attendant had come, just as promised, though it was hardly an interaction at all. A rather scrawny man with a piece of fabric tied over the lower half of his face had opened the door only enough to slide in a tray of food and what looked like herbal medicine before promptly slamming the door shut, not even making eye contact as Alibaba had lifted his head from the bedding to gaze over at the intrusion curiously.
With a small flush, he lifted the corners of his shirt back up over his shoulders, having been steadily shedding pieces as he only became warmer. He tried to blame the length of their interaction on his state of dress, though something stronger told him it had to do with this mysterious illness.
It only felt like a nail in the coffin when he heard something scrape in front of the door outside, then the handle of the door jingle slightly as he realized an outside barricade was being erected.
“No way… H-hey--!” he almost stumbled off the bed, dizzy and less than steady on his feet as he traveled to the door and the tray of food before it. Placing his hands on it, he gave a small shove, eyes widening to find his assumption was true. “Hey!” he called again, hearing footsteps and scuffling still just outside the threshold. “Don’t lock me in here!!”
A pause, then a strained voice, presumably the one of the skinny, young male guard. “I’m sorry – I-it’s orders. It’s just so you won’t – be disturbed. But if you need anything, someone will be outside the door – S-so please just rest!”
Surprisingly…he felt slightly better that he wasn’t being abandoned, though it was still little comfort in such a drastic situation. Taking a step back, his brows furrowed at the tone in which the man spoke. What the hell was happening?!
“Can you tell me why I’m being held in here?” he tried, though the response was routine, as expected.
“I’m sorry, I can’t – can’t discuss. Please understand it’s for your safety.”
Panic was slowly seeping up his spine, eyes sweeping back around the ornate bedchambers as his breathing quickened, heat still throbbing through every inch of his skin. Was he contagious? Had others caught it?? What of Aladdin and Morgiana? He had been around them just before beginning to feel ill.
He couldn’t expect any answers lying around the cushions while they piled things in front of the door to keep him in. He had to find out on his own.
-
To say tensions were high would be an insult to the true description of the atmosphere Hakuryuu had walked in on when entering the negotiations room. He had thought something in the air had seemed odd when he first stepped into the White Aries Tower, a lingering scent that he couldn’t quite distinguish.
He thought little of the matter and assumed it a passing trifle before he was all but assaulted with the aggravated aura the moment he walked in. He did well to keep face, stiffening only slightly and feeling the hair at the back of his neck bristle. He was used to situations such as these when dealing with his family at home, unfortunately, though it worked to his advantage when such affairs arose elsewhere.
He was incredible at reservation and composure when the time called for it.
But that certainly didn’t dampen his curiosity as to why every alpha in the room looked as though they wanted to burst from their seats and storm the palace. It did not go unnoticed that Alibaba was absent as well, something the blue eyed prince felt a desire to inquire upon though intuition advised him that he wait.
Focusing was difficult but not impossible. If anything, Hakuryuu took it as an opportunity of an exercise in composure. He did well, as expected, though he could not entirely ignore the underlying sensation that lingered.
Were he to be honest, it felt as though every alpha was entering a rut.
When their discussions had finally come to a close nearly three hours later, Hakuryuu had intended to seek Sinbad’s counsel but consequently did not need to as the King was approaching him of his own accord.
“Hakuryuu.” He addressed casually, smiling and comfortably dismissing Hakuryuu’s urgency to pay his respects.
“Sinbad-sama; I didn’t think I’d done anything substantial to gain a private conversation with you.” Hakuryuu’s humble reply was acquainted with respectful bow of his crown, though as Sinbad chuckled jovially, the Kou prince’s demeanor loosened and his stance lost the rigidity of formality.
“It’s hardly private~ And besides, we’re familiar with one another enough to drop that stuffy way of speaking, aren’t we?” At Hakuryuu’s abashed smile of recognition, Sinbad was dropping a warm palm atop his shoulder to pat amicably.
“I know, I know. It’s in your nature,” He amended. Hakuryuu made to speak, drawing a breath before Sinbad raised a finger to interrupt. “Alibaba-kun; am I right?”
Dark lashes fluttering at being so easily read, Hakuryuu straightened a bit before quickly regaining his poise and nodding.
“Yes. I was hoping to find out why he was absent from this morning’s meeting…” He was quick to press his fist into the palm of his hand in his empire’s gesture of promise and deference. Sinbad was bowing his head in acknowledgement, plum hair spilling over his shoulder before he stepped to the side and gestured with a sweep of his arm to the white haired beta who had been standing beside him all the while.
“I believe you’d best ask Ja’far the details.”
The one in question, though he seemed very open to Hakuryuu being inquisitive, appeared tentative to be the direct source of information on the matter. To be honest, he appeared...frazzled. No doubt it had something to do with the change in mood that happened at the start of the meeting, but did that have anything to do with the absent prince of Balbadd?
“Yes – ah, first-” With a quick dart of his eyes to the side, one of his underlings immediately came forward to receive orders, his voice soft and urgent. “Please check to ensure Alibaba has a few more guards posted in the hallway until I can properly assess the situation.”
Guards?
Had he been attacked?!
Alarm rose slightly in Hakuryuu’s gut, eyes shifting from Ja’far to Sinbad, though the look he received in return did not seem urgent. Why would there be any need for guards on his room? And the fact that he was absent…was it for his safety or others? The boy had a knack for holding things back with a façade of being carefree.
His mouth opened to ask again with a bit more insistence, but he was stopped once more before he could muster the questionings.
“Hakuryuu-san, if you’d like to follow me…I think perhaps…it’s a situation best shown than explained.” The words were almost weary, but carried almost a comically disbelieving undertone. It eased him slightly, honestly just perplexed then what Alibaba could have done to create such uproar. He didn’t seem to have any trouble making waves, that was for sure.
The journey to Alibaba’s quarters certainly wasn’t as suspenseful as he had assumed it would be. Surely, Hakuryuu wouldn’t deny his curiosity only continued to heighten with every step, but much of that felt like a bizarre ignition to his instincts as alpha; like a buzzing current electrifying otherwise dormant senses.
He was a bit antsy by the end of it, feeling like he could bounce where he stood and looked about as an incredibly delicious smell was ostensibly emanating from the dew dropped columns of marble and the vivacious jade leaves of the vines that spiraled around them.
Upon arriving at the entrance of Alibaba’s chambers, it was a bit disconcerting to see there were, in fact, a few guards stationed there, low ranked betas by the looks of it, all adorning some sort of protection around their nose and mouth; be it a barrier of cloth or their own hands. Hakuryuu didn’t seem to understand, his heart beginning to thunder while the scent was only growing stronger and all the more delightful.
For a moment, Ja’far approached them as was expected, nothing appearing amiss as he was stepping before the door, locks and barricades removed. Such hadn’t gone unnoticed by the Kou prince, apprehension coiling in his gut as he had noted that detail specifically.
“Alibaba-dono is inside…?” Hakuryuu asked tentatively, feeling as though his eyesight was sharper than before for whatever reason. Ja’far peered over his shoulder at him, a sleeved hand covering his nose and mouth before turning to face forward and knocking twice out of courtesy. There was a pause and for a moment, Hakuryuu anticipated the door to open and a fluffy haired blond poke his head out from behind. No such thing happened, however, and ever the keen household that he was, Ja’far was taking it upon himself to open the door himself and rushed inside, only to come to a screeching halt just four paces in.
Although Hakuryuu was not as urgent, he was stepping in after the sharp eyed beta and observed that the chamber was quite vacant and Alibaba was nowhere to be found. Knotted expertly around the column of the bed post was the corner of a sheet, dangling over the sill of the window and as Ja’far rushed to the opening to peer over, it became apparent that Alibaba had utilized the oldest tactic of escape ever known; having fashioned a rope out of the linens.
“SHIT!” Ja’far was cussing loudly, shockingly uncharacteristic for those only having known him as Sinbad’s right hand and catching Hakuryuu entirely by surprise. He was marching over to the guards, demanding explanation and receiving an extremely timorous reply that they had been so focused on not smelling him, they had entirely missed him leaving altogether.
Ja’far was all but ripping his hair from his head then, Hakuryuu having had enough of being left in the dark.
“What is going on?” He demanded, feeling half on edge while the other half of him felt ready to nearly burst out laughing; the scent evoking the most bizarre spectrum of emotions. He lifted his nose into the air and took a deep breath, creating a trill down his spine before he snorted and shook his head, his nose tickled by the aroma.
“It…It almost smells like a rut or something—” his remark was disbelieving, but Ja’far was whipping his arms out in distress.
“That’s just it!! It’s not a rut!! It’s a heat!!” He cried, thrusting his fingers into his hair and mussing it about in a desperate yet futile attempt to calm himself.
Hakuryuu’s eyes narrowed, endeavoring to make sense of it yet only coming to one, impossible conclusion.
“What...?”
Ja’far was nearing the end of his wits.
“Alibaba is an omega!!”