Midnight Blue

18 / The Seer

"Does anybody want to tell me what the fuck is going on?" Zachariah's voice cut through the suddenly silent room. 

The King glanced down at a sleeping Rose, content that this time his solution was working. He slipped himself away, standing from the bed. 

"Alex?"

The boy looked at him hesitantly, opening his mouth to speak only to close it again. Finally, he said, "With all due respect, sire, I'd like to ask the same." 

The King stared at him, eyebrows raised, jaw squared. 

Zachariah let out a short and sudden laugh. "Who is this guy?" He asked over mind link. 

The King shot him a glare, trying to calm his growing impatience before answering Alex.

"I would think, to begin, that you know more than me." 

Alex ran a hand over his face. "I can't tell you everything."

"You're forgetting who you speak to." Zachariah spat, stepping forward. 

A sigh found it's way from Alex. He considered, perhaps, that he was walking himself into his grave. "Respectfully, sir, I don't. It's just-"

"He does know that using the word 'respect' doesn't make it ok?" The King glared at his beta once more. 

"Alex." He warned. 

"Your majesty, you respected me that night in the kitchen when I told you that Rose's story was not mine to tell. I ask you please to not make this any different. I will tell you what I can but not the details." 

The King's hands balled to fists at his side before he nodded shortly. "I will decide if you need to tell more." 

Alex shut his eyes for a moment then nodded. Goddess protect him, he thought. Goddess protect him and Rose and Ella. 

Ella. His mind drifted back to the girl. The potion he'd given her hadn't worked as well as it usually did. This vision was stronger but even besides that, something felt off. Like the air was charged or a cloud was hanging. He couldn't explain it. Once Rose had left, Ella was stirring again and Alex had had to give her another potion to keep her under. 

She'd never had more than one dose before. He didn't know when she would wake up. 

"There's a seer," he started, watching as the men's faces turned to hatred. "Somewhere in this building, there is a seer. Rose and I, we...we try to help her. So that her visions don't get her in trouble. She's newly gifted. The visions pain her and come in the middle of the night." 

The Alpha King's jaw clenched. He knew seers to be selfish people and he still he didn't like the thought that one was taking advantage of the people helping them. "And this..." he struggled to form the word without growling "...seer didn't think to come here themselves? The seer's curse is not a secret - most everyone knows of it." 

Alex could see where this was going. He glanced over at Zachariah who seemed little concerned about the King's growing anger. 

"No, sir. The seer couldn't come s-" He didn't get the chance to finish.

"So they decided to let Rose endure the pain? The curse only pertains to non-seers. Did they forget that? That if non-seers try to communicate the vision..." He stopped himself short. He could feel his wolf stirring inside of him.

"That's not it-" Alex wanted them to listen. Needed them to. This was his only chance to help Ella. Perhaps the King could find some way to ease her pains.

"So the seer is a traitor then? They weren't going to inform us of the curse?" Zachariah chimed in.

"No!" Alex's voice came out sudden and loud. He didn't expect it, didn't know where it came from. The King stared at him. He had thought to know this boy from his short interactions with him. He was quiet and reserved though endlessly kind and loyal. His strength of character was admirable but the King did not expect an outward show of strength such as this. 

The room was silent, the King cocking his head to the side to show that the boy had his attention.

"We gave her a sleeping draught. It's the only way to silence her screaming. Rose made it when the visions first started showing. Her Alpha..." He shuddered at the memory. 

The King ran a hand through his hair, narrowing his eyes at Alex. "There is more to this story, I know it." 

Alex's eyes pleaded with him to leave it there as he opened his mouth to speak. 

"But," The King got to it before he could. "I will leave it. For now." 

A sigh left Alex's body as he relaxed. He hadn't realised quite how nervous he was. 

"I expect you to give me more details on the vision as soon as the seer wakes up."

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Alex bowed. 

Just then, the door swung open. 

"Your Majesty, Alpha Rian is requesting access."