Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Max slowly walked down the aisle, hundreds of eyes on him, trying not to stumble over the train of his overly voluptuous, white wedding gown. The servants of the palace had had to wrestle him into it, for he had refused to wear a dress at all. No one had told him it was a convention of the court for the omegas to wear dresses, presumably because they had foreseen his reaction. Curse his father for selling him out to the first alpha who was willing to take him! The only good use of the man was that he currently held onto his elbow, providing the omega with the most stability he had ever gotten from him in his entire life.

The tight corset was suffocating, squeezing the little will to live he had left right out of him. To make matters worse, they had insisted on placing a veil atop his head, limiting his sight by drowning the entire church in a shroud of white. He tightly held onto the bouquet of white roses in his hands, trying to survive the endlessly long way to the altar where his soon-to-be husband was already waiting for him.

George's icy blue eyes were fixated on him. Outwardly, it would seem like he could not keep his eyes off his father's choice. Inwardly, George was glad they had put a veil on the omega, for it meant that he did not have to look at his hideous visage.

Max knew he was making a fool of himself as he clumsily walked up the stairs to the altar, his father giving him away to his future husband. Jos rescinded to sit in the front row, mirroring King Toto's position on the right side of the church, watching the spectacle with acute attention.

"We have gathered here today," the priest's voice reverberated through the church, "to celebrate the sacred union of Alpha Prince George of The House of Sliver Arrows and Omega Prince Max of The House of The Sanguine Bull."

George tried to listen to the endlessly long speech, but he had lost his interest the very moment the priest had opened his mouth. There was nothing in this world he could possibly say to make this union appealing to him, no matter how many passages of the scripture he would cite. At least he kept up his appearance, whereas the omega to his left did not even seem to try. While he could not see the expression on his face, his hands were trembling and it appeared that he suffered of dire nervousness.

No wonder, a marriage under duress was not exactly a pleasurable matter, but it had been in neither of their hands to make the decision. They were merely marionettes in this spiel, expertly played by their puppeteer fathers.

"Do you, Alpha Prince George of The House of Sliver Arrows, take the present Omega Prince Max of The House of The Sanguine Bull for your mate, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?" the priest asked, turning towards George, expectantly looking at him for an answer.

"I do." The answer came without hesitation. Not because George agreed with the vows. Not at all. He did not even like the omega, how could one even speak of loving the pitiful creature his father had presented him with? Regardless, his disapprobation aside, it would be in poor taste to deny the marriage, especially for an alpha of his status. He would have to find a way of living with his betrothed, until the end of their days. George hoped that this day would come rather fast.

Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed the omega's rough hand taking his, slipping a simple silver wedding band on his ring finger, like shackles around a prisoner's ankle.

When it became time for the omega to accept the vows, there were a few bouts of silence before he faintly agreed to the union. The alpha returned the gesture, unceremoniously sliding the ring on his finger.

The priest announced, "You may seal the marriage with a kiss."

This was the part George had dreaded the most. Whilst he could live with being forced into the omega's proximity, the thought of his lips grazing against the slight beard sent shivers down his spine with disgust. He turned towards the omega, slowly lifting the veil, looking straight into his striking blue eyes. The prince appeared to be nervous, his eyes darting in his father's direction as if to seek help. None came.

George had to brace himself for what he inevitably had to do now, cupping the omega's bearded chin and pulling him closer until their lips met for a chaste kiss. Just long enough to make everyone believe it, yet not a second longer than necessary. He had to suppress a shiver, the rough lips against his own, soft and supple one's feeling like sandpaper.

The entire church erupted in cheers, watching as the two newlyweds walked down the isle linked arm in arm, flower petals fluttering through the air around them.

Outside, a beautiful white horse-drawn carriage already awaited them, and the coachman held the reins in his hands, ready to go at any moment.

George graciously helped his mate into the carriage, holding the train of his dress so the omega would not trip. He had already made enough of a fool of himself walking down the aisle, they did not need a repetition of the spectacle for the congregation which had gathered alongside them.

Once they were comfortably seated inside and the door was closed, the coachman swung his whip through the air, letting it hit the ground with a loud crack, setting the horses in motion.

Max and George silently sat next to each other, watching the fields pass by as the carriage made its way to the village. After all, even the common folk had a right to know who their future ruler and his betrothed were, with people returning early from their work on the fields so they could be part of the spectacle.

"Do you not know these fields?" the omega broke the silence, capturing the prince's attention, who had been staring straight out of the window the entire time.

George mumbled something unintelligible in return.

"Excuse me, would you be so kind as to repeat that?"

"I said, I quite enjoy the view," he reiterated, and the insult stung. A waft of smokey scent blew through the carriage, and George wordlessly opened the window in return.

"I dislike the dress," the omega noted, fiddling with the skirt covering his legs. He was used to wearing robes, and he would prefer to keep it that way. Maybe his husband would be kind enough to make an exception for him.

George had to bite his tongue as to not say 'I dislike you'. Instead, he said, "It is the convention at our court."

They continued the rest of the ride in silence until the first houses started to appear, and the carriage made its way toward the Town Square, where a large crowd of farmers and their wives and children had already gathered. Weddings were not as common of an occurrence, and even people from the neighbouring towns had come in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the newlyweds.

The coachman slowed the horses until they were trotting at a leisurely pace, giving the common folk enough time to admire the couple. George smiled politely at the crowd, waving his hand, playing into the fantasies they surely had of what it must feel like to be of royal descent. Max shyly looked out of the other window, much more timid with his supposed joy.

The people screamed in ecstasy, desperate to be waved and smiled at, now indulged by the royal couple. A few young omegas giggled in the crowd as George waved at them. The fact that the beautiful alpha prince had just gotten married did not deter them from dreaming of him, and this seldom sighting would keep them sustained with fantasies for months to come.

Enamoured by all the people cheering for them, Max grew more confident, soaking in the attention. He was sure that everyone in the church had sensed his misery, but here, the people were filled to the brim with genuine curiosity. It was strange. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was truly loved, a sentiment not even shared by his betrothed. But the people seemed to love him, begging him for a smile or a wave of his hand as the carriage passed by, looking at him with genuine adoration.

However, the joy was only short-lived, as they soon reached the other side of the Town Square, leaving the cheering crowd behind them. The cold quiescence returned, and Max stared outside at the fields again, already missing the excitement of the farmers and their families. The children had been particularly sweet, staring at him like he was an angel or a princess from a fairytale.

"The people seem to like you," George noted, breaking the silence. Of course they didn't like the omega as much as they loved him, but it was good to see that his father's choice appeared to be agreeable to the people. This marriage was in their best interest, to bring forth a strong union and thus prosperity, which of course would only benefit the common folk as well.

Max only nodded his head. Maybe he could venture into the town sometime soon. Even though he had grown up at a royal court himself, he detested the strict hierarchies, especially as an omega. Subservience was not in his nature, and he had no intention of changing that. Certainly not for an alpha like him.

Back at the castle, everyone was already awaiting the newlywed's arrival. George graciously helped his betrothed out of the carriage and everyone cooed at the affectionate gesture. While they had been away, the servants had prepared a banquet in their honour, and as was expected of them, they would have to commence the festivities with a dance. Just the two of them.

 They entered the halls, walking to the middle of the ballroom, arm in arm, bowing down in front of the King before assuming position.

"Do you know how to dance?" George whispered, praying that the answer would be yes.

"I do. Just not in dresses like these," Max admitted. Feasts and balls had been seldom events at their court, yet he had still been schooled in the most important matters an omega of his status was expected to know.

"Then follow my lead." It was supposed to be an offer, a promise, but it came out sounding like a threat. Do not dare go against me.

Max didn't reply. He was not intent on making fools out of either of them, but the alpha's attitude irked him. He had been told from some trusted confidantes that the alpha was notoriously difficult, but he had not expected him to be outright rude. Max swore to himself that he was going to get a taste of his own medicine soon. He would play nice for the masses, but behind closed doors, he would show the alpha who really was in charge.

The string quartet played the first notes, the cello first, soon followed by the two violins and the viola. George guided Max to the sound of the music, putting one hand on the small of his back, the other on his shoulder, gracefully swaying to the melody. Whenever Max stumbled over his dress, which was more often than not, George caught him, making it look as if it had been intentional every time.

King Toto watched his son with approval, while Jos appeared visibly uncomfortable by the spectacle, not even trying to hide his disappointment. Yet, they managed to finish the dance, opening the floor for everyone, and a bout of couples, including King Toto and his wife, joined the newlyweds.

The night continued with laughter, drinks and dance, celebrating the joyful union of the two families. Chatter filled the entire castle, always underlined by music, and Max and George could barely save themselves from people coming up to congratulate them. It was a tedious affair, but they always thanked with polite smiles, and George linked their hands to convince everyone just how overjoyed they were.

Throughout the entire night, they did not kiss one more time.