scaredy cat|stray kids

-one-

"Did you hear? They're revealing the prince tomorrow." An old man chirps brightly as I snatch an apple from his cart without hesitation. He's far too distracted to notice.

"I heard they kept him hidden for so long because he's ugly. They searched everywhere for someone who could fix him." Another man adds into the rumors and I chuckle in amusement.

He's not ugly. He's actually really cute. Last I saw him at least. I don't know what the last six years did to him. He could've went downhill at puberty for all I know. Then again—he was in puberty when I saw him last. They kept him hidden from people like them—that's what I was told at least. They couldn't let the world know their precious prince was an alpha.

Alphas are greedy. Powerful—but greedy. They do what they want when they want just because they know they can. The only way to keep them in their place is by finding their Luna. An alpha would never go against their Luna. All they want is to protect them and smother them with love and affection. It's almost impossible to find an Alpha's Luna, though. There's so many potential people out there and they're all spread apart. How do you find an Omega to match every single Alpha when most Omegas are used and tossed aside? A damaged Omega as their Luna is an Alpha's worst nightmare. I'd feel bad if some poor alpha got stuck with me as their Luna.

"I heard he isn't actually part of the royal bloodline. They found him on the street and thought he was pretty enough to fill the role. The king can't have kids." A younger woman chimes in and I can't help but snort as I take a bite of the apple.

She's talking about me. I was picked up off the street to fill the role of a higher up. I was the one who was 'pretty enough' to fit into the royal family. It didn't last though. I'm sure they found someone just as pretty or prettier after I was kicked out. I feel bad for them. They have to marry into that mess.

"I heard they kicked the real prince out on the streets because he wasn't a good fit. They found out he wasn't the king's son. The queen slept with someone from another kingdom and tried to cover it up. So he's royal blood for two kingdoms." The old man mumbles as he fiddles with his coin pouch.

Try again. Still me—well for the most part. Royal blood—yes and no. My father is the illegitimate son of the King the next kingdom over. Making him an outcast. He has royal blood, but it's not acknowledged like his half siblings. That makes me only a quarter royal blood. So in all reality, they're probably glad I'm not there to mess with their hierarchy. I'm sure it's complicated enough. I heard my dad was just like his father. Who knows how many other illegitimate kids there are in that family? I definitely don't want to count. I couldn't if I tried.

"I heard that they kept him hidden because he's an omega. They were scared someone would try and take him." Another woman joins in on the fun and games. I can't help but approach them. Everything they're saying is pointing towards me and not him. I'm getting a little offended.

"Here—let me set you all straight. The prince—the illegitimate child—the ugly beast—whatever you want to refer to him as—he's nothing like what you're imagining. He's short, but he's fairly handsome. Last I knew, he had a decent build—he really liked martial arts. He's quite smart. He's the King's real son. They definitely didn't find him on the street. Honestly—I was quite offended by the uneducated assumptions you were making. If you wanted to talk to the 'pretty' boy they picked up off the streets to try and blend him into the royal blood line you should've just asked instead of airing my dirty laundry out for everyone to see." I frown as I play up my hurt.

Honestly, I couldn't care less. I have no interest in what people are saying about the prince, but when they confuse him with me it's honestly insulting. I'm a lot better than him. He's such a pain. He's probably even more of a pain now.