Ruler of Beasts (Delicate Flower, #0.5)

Before he was feared.
Before enemies cowered upon hearing his name.
Before he became the Ruler of Beasts.
He was just a boy hidden in the dark alleys of a foreign country.

Maximus Alexander has lived in exile his whole life. He'd learned the hardships of life since a very young age. At Ten, his mother taught him how to shear the skin of wolves. At eleven, he would hunt for game with the elders in the great mountains of Svėna. He'd always had a gift for collecting beasts, they would say. He would tame eagles and tigers and unleash them at whoever crossed their tribe's borders. At twelve, he learned he was the only heir to the Kingdom of Volkeï, and the son of the enemy's governor.

Thrown into a world of war and strategies, of royals and bourgeoisie, Maximus Alexander has yet to face vigorous training and learn the key to rule kingdom properly. Upon meeting his father, however, he soon realizes that nothing is ever as it seems in the kingdom and learns secrets that should have better remained hidden.
Constantly belittled in the new kingdom, Maximus feels exiled as ever. 'Ruler of beasts', they would call him once he'd play with eagles and Tigers, the villainous prince Volkei is cursed with.
With his mother assassinated and mutilated in front of his eyes at an attack that was primarily targeted at him, Maximus Alexander soon realizes that the key to ruling a Kingdom requires more than a goodness of heart.

To become a King, he would have to give it away completely and become something greater, someone powerful.

Power is earned by fear, and never love.

If they wanted him to be a villainous Prince, he would gladly abide.

A monster is created after all, never born.

This is not the story of a boy who dared to turn into a monster, this is the story of a villain, who had earned respect at the price of his humanity.

This is the story of the Ruler of Beasts.