SHIFTERS

three

Dayu sat quietly beside the window of the room he had occupied. His eyes were staring into nothing even though outside there, there were dozens of Cavelean's magnificent buildings that could entertain his sight. Everything felt so empty.

It was the third days they had been staying in Cavelean kingdom. The Cavelean's king asked them to stay for a week and he promised that he would try to compromise with the prince about the marriage. However, Dayu wasn't completely a fool. He knew that the dragon prince was still far from willing to accept the marriage no matter what the king said to him.

Dayu was desperate. He couldn't stop remembering his kingdom. What could possibly happen if they failed to form an alliance? In few years, they would start crumbling apart and then  Cathlea would be nothing more than a history. He certainly couldn't let that to happen.

Even though he was born as an omega, his family  still loved him dearly. He couldn't help with the country matters nor fight in the battlefield, yet his family still pampered him. Dayu wanted at least he could have one thing he was able to give to his kingdom as the exchange of all the love he had been receiving until now.

Stood up, Dayu gave a side glance toward the veil that he had been using ever since he had arrived in Cavelean. But now Dayu thought there was no use for him to wear that veil anymore. Based on what it looked like until now, it was settled that the dragon prince wouldn't change his mind about the rejection. That way, Dayu also made up his mind. He couldn't give up about the alliance so he needed to do something.

Leaving the veil behind, the third prince of Cathlea exited his room. He walked hesitantly toward the king's chamber. Once he arrived in front of the king's chamber, he met with two guards who stood firmly in each side of the door. They eyed Dayu intensely. They must couldn't recognize Dayu since the omega all this while always wore his veil.

"I'm Cathlea's prince. Please, allow me to meet with the king." He said hesitantly. "It's urgent." He added later.

The guards eyed Dayu curiously, they wanted to ask why the prince didn't wear his veil but they hold their tongue as they saw how gloomy the prince's eyes were.

"Yes, please come in, my Lord. The king must be wouldn't mind to meet you."

As Dayu entered the room, he immediately met with the king who seemed busy writing something on his desk. When the king sensed someone else in the room, he lifted his face. He looked at Dayu questioningly.

"Is that you the youngest prince of Cathlea?" The king asked with doubt.

"Yes, it's me, my king. I apologize if I'm interrupting your works." Dayu said quietly, he eyed the floor beneath his feet while his fingers clenched and unclenched groggily. "You can call me just by my name."

The king of course immediately knew something was wrong by looking at Dayu who came without his veil and his expression he was showing on his face at the moment.

The king immediately put down his brush and set aside the paper in front of him. With a warm smile, he said, "Come, sit here, Dayu. Tell me what's troubling your mind,"

Only for few days after their arrival in Cavelean, Dayu already started to built the feeling of amazement toward the king. Everyone could see he was very wise, kind and mature. He was truly a good king.

"My king, as you already knew, this alliance between our kingdom was very important to Cathlea. We are holding on the last string of our hope through this. However, I also can see that Prince Wang Qing is very against this alliance. Actually I do not want to force myself on him, to accept me as his mate. I don't want him to hate me and the marriage wouldn't work if one party is unwilling. That's why, I decide to give up the engangement between Prince Wang Qing and I."

To said that the king was surprised would be understatement. "I believe I heard that you said that the alliance was very important to your kingdom, then why did you say that you want to give up?"

"That's why, my king, I want to propose another offer to you just so we can continue the alliance," Dayu sighed heavily. Truth to be told, he wanted to cry so bad at the moment. But he knew that he couldn't. He must be strong for his kingdom. "I know that I'm not really a qualified person. I'm weak and not a beauty at all. But I hope my king can accept me to be your mistress as the exchange of the alliance,"

The king almost coughed by hearing the young prince's offer, but he tried to control himself and stayed composed. "How can you end up with this kind of offer, young prince?" He asked. "We, Cavelean people, are people with honor. We also respect everyone with honor, most importantly to our alliances. I will not disregard your kingdom by taking you as my mistress. We are creature who put our only mate in the top of everything else. You do know how low a mistress position in our society,"

Of course Dayu knew that. In this realm where everyones only loved their mate, a mistress was basically a lowest position that someone could look upon. They were the unwanted ones, the one who considered as the third party between a pair of mate. People usually didn't take a mistress unless they didn't have another choices. A mistress also would never bearing a mating mark since the mating mark only could given to the actual mate. A dominant wouldn't really loved the mistress just like he he loved his mate.  Even though when a mate had died and the man took a mistress to be with him, the feeling would never be the same. It still felt empty and the mistress would end up hurt because the feeling of unwanted.

Dayu already heard that the king's mate had died  due a sickness several years ago. Ever since then, he never took anyone to replace his mate. He also never had a chance to have a child. Dayu didn't mind to be the king's mistress as long as the alliance still happen. The feeling of unwanted and unloved, forever lived as someone who never had a chance to share his love with his true mate, Dayu would shoulder it all. He was that desperate for the alliance.

The king kept his silence. Even though the young prince in front of him sounded so determined, but the king knew how hard he fought the urge to cry. Dayu also didn't wish to be a mistress, yet he didn't think twice before sacrificing himself for his kingdom. This young omega was truly admirable. How could the king be able to refuse him?

Seeing the king's hesitation, Dayu stood up. He walked around until he stoof in front of the king. The next second he was kneeling in front of the king, "I am Feng Jianyu, starting today I strip myself off from the status as the third prince of Cathlea to be the mistress of the Cavelean's king. Please use my soul and body as to my king's liking. My life shall belong to my king only from now on."

Dayu ignored the sour on his tongue as he said his oath. The young omega was bitting his lips so hard to fight the urge to cry. His heart's clenched painfully, but he knew it was the only thing he could do for his kingdom. This was just a small sacrifice.

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