A King, A Captain, A Mess

02 Baby Brother

Ethan POV

"Captain!" One of my men yells, running to catch up with me.

"Brian, how goes it?" I respond, stopping for him to catch his breath.

"Your... brother." He pants unable to say more.

I sigh. "Show me."

Brian runs back the way he came, and I follow. What has Baby Brother done now?

"Kneel pesant!" I hear Trevor yell.

"My king, it is true." A young girl cries out, reaching for his face gently.

"You dare try and touch me with your filthy hands!?" My brother yells, slapping away her touch.

I know the girl. She's the daughter of the head baker in the castle. Her father is a good man, and she always seemed sweet, but I believe her mother died when she was young... Melony, that's her name. She runs the bakery in town. I hear her cakes can rival that of her father.

"I'm your mate! Please, my king, don't do this!" She begs him. Trevor scoffs.

"You really think I would me mated to a low bread fool like you!? No God would be so cruel!" He spits, causing the girl to flinch away from his words. Time to clean up his mess again.

"Drinking so early, brother?" I call out in a jovial manner, hoping to calm the situation and stop him from looking even more the fool.

"Stay out of this, bastard!" He yells as I reach him. I wrap him in a hug, holding the back of his neck so he is forced to remain in my grasp.

"Think this through, baby brother. The people will rebel if you reject your mate." I whisper to him so quietlyonlyhe will hear. "Act like you're drunk. I will take you home. Tomorrow, you can come back here and accept her with the claim that the alcohol made you unable to feel the bond."

"No!" He growls pushing at me, and I release him. "You are not my mate. You probably just want to whore yourself out to someone in the castle. Try my brother out. A bastard and a whore! Now that is a match!"

Everyone standing around is shocked at Trevor's words. Melony is the definition of sweet purity, and I am ridiculed for my desire to remain celibate until I find my mate. He couldn't have picked a worse pair of people to make a comment like that about. It seems the people agree as they glare at their future king.

"Take your case to the temple then." I tell him, and he pales. The crowd begins to murmur in agreement.

"Yeah!" Someone yells.

"If she's lying, the priest will know!"

"What are you afraid of!?"

As the crowd gets worked up, Trevor takes a step back. He stumbles to the ground, and I see him stick his fingers in his mouth, causing himself to vomit.

"I think... I think you might be right, Ethan... That last shot was a bit much." He says as he stumbles over to me. I roll my eyes as I catch him. His show may be too little too late. From the faces of the people I'd say few believe him. Multiple women are helping Melony compose herself. I sigh taking his arm over my shoulder. No one is buying this.

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"It was horrible, momma!" Trevor whines as soon as his mother is within earshot. "She's so dirty and common! I'm supposed to have a princess mate not a servant mate."

"And what are you doing here, boy?" My stepmother growls at me. She never uses my name. It's always boy or bastard.

"I was trying to help him save face with the clan but your precious baby boy has a thick skull." I tell her.

"He has a right, as king, to chose who he mates with. Your father had no respect for the bond and he kept his position." She tells me with a tilt to her head that obviously states "I am better than you."

"That was a different situation. Father never rejected his mate." I inform her and she growls.

"Get out!" She screeches. I turn and leave the room happy to no longer have to listen to her.

"Captain!" I hear called again as I make my way down the corridor.

"Simon, please, you can use my name." I say to the plump man that is perpetually coated in flour.

"Just tell me, boy. Is it true?" Unlike when my stepmother calls me boy I don't mind Simon saying it. He means it as an endearment not a slight.

"I'm sorry, Simon. My brother is a fool to dismiss her like that." I tell him and the bog man starts to cry.

"My poor little Melony! She must be heartbroken!" He falls into me and I awkwardly pat his back unsure how I can help.

"Can anyone cover for you in the kitchen today?" I ask and he sniffles before nodding.

"Yes, I have a trainee who is doing well." He answers.

"Go home, Simon. Comfort your daughter. Hopefully that idiot will come around." I say. With a nod Simon leaves back to the kitchens Hopefully to let them know he is leaving for the day. I'm sure Melony will want to see her dad.

I make my way through many hallways before reaching my destination and knocking on the door.

"Enter." A deep voice growls, and I turn the knob. "What's going on, son? The people are in a frenzy." Father asks, glancing out the window. I can see mass movement, which tells me many from the village are here to make a complaint about my darling baby brother.

"Your heir very publicly denounced his mate. Your mate is backing her precious baby boy. Neither will listen to the council of a bastard." I tell him and he sighs.

"You use that word too liberally. I have never called you a bastard and never will. You aren't one. Your mother and I mated. Just because we weren't destined doesn't make you invalid." He says missing the bigger issue.

"I know you love me, Father, but can we focus on what is important here?" I say, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Trevor had the girl crying in the street. He practically spit in her face. He believes he will get a reprieve on the argument that your relationship with my mother set an acceptable president."

"He said that?" Father asks with a raised brow, and I chuckle.

"In fewer words, yes. He believes he has done no wrong." I answer.

"He may have to fall on his own sword this time. His supporters support him because of their respect for the mate bond. If he refuses to accept this girl, they will cease to support him. You will take his place as my heir." He smiles like he's given me the world, but I shake my head.

"I don't want to be a king. I've never wanted to be king! You know this, Father. Please..." I beg hoping he has another solution.

"I see no other option. Look out the window, Ethan. It hasn't even been an hour, and a crowd has gathered at our doors. What do you want me to do? The people love you. The soldiers respect you. The only members of the clan you need to win over are the stuffed shirts and with what your brother just pulled? You're as good as gold."

"You wanted this to happen." I accuse him, and he shrugs.

"Want? No. Expect? Yes. Your brother is more concerned with holding his muthers dress than leading his people... but by all means, if you have a plan to make him a worthy ruler, lay it out for me, Captain." Father responds, looking for a battle plan to reign in his own son.

"Are you willing to stand up to your mate?" I ask and he shudders before nodding.

I've got some work to do.