While Francis was most certainly the King, he was also an omega, and while it displayed only in his eyes, there was a brief flash of something that momentarily wavered in those crystalline orbs.
And then the King sighed and extracted himself from Arthur's grip, giving him an exasperated, "You needed only to ask..." He looked like a parent weary over the acts of a child, but Arthur had seen it-- Arthur had witnessed the tremor of submission that had passed through his gaze.
"Alfred contacted me." Arthur said, wasting no time. He couldn't revel over petty victories when his mate was in danger.
Matthew was suddenly at his side, looking wary but interested. "How?"
"He called me."
The omega frowned. "His glasses are functioning? But I thought--..." Matthew turned and walked over to what Arthur could only fathom was a computer of sorts, although it was mostly lights and flickers of images and gel padded keys. "Shit-- they are functioning again!"
"Language, Matthew." Francis chided softly, gliding over to stand beside his son.
Arthur watched for a moment, only distantly aware of the way the other omegas in the room gave him wide berth. He joined them, peering with no small amount of intensity at the two. "Can we trace the call?"
"Even better." Matthew quipped. "If the call function is working again that means we can just pin point his location, although..." The omega bit his lip. "This is probably a trap." He said bluntly, looking at Arthur.
The alpha stared at him. "Perhaps." He admitted.
Francis looked at Arthur suddenly, cocking his head. "What did Alfred say to you...?"
Suddenly he had the focus of both omegas, but none of his resolve faltered. "They've induced heat in him. He begged me to find him and..." Arthur grimaced, "save him."
Matthew released a breath of air that sounded more like a hiss as Francis turned his head away with an emotion Arthur couldn't read.
The younger of the two omega spoke first, "He's never had a heat before-- not even by accident." Matthew sighed. "It's... it's not pleasant to have one when you haven't before. I would know. And I can't imagine what kind of conditions he's being held in..."
"A far cry from an omega's den..." Arthur murmured, ignoring the way Matthew looked at him with confusion. It was easy to tap into the raw, primal anger he felt and he summoned forth that feeling again as he looked up at the two. "I don't care if it's a trap. I need to find him."
"You are a very valuable creature, Arthur." The King said smoothly. "Your life is more important than any other. Would you still risk it for Alfred's sake?"
"Yes." It didn't even bear thinking about. "I know I'm important. I understand." He took a breath. "If I don't do this-- If I don't save my own mate who's suffering, alone, and in heat, I dare say my genetics are too faulty and dishonorable to even consider using to save your population. No alpha could live with that shame. You would spawn a race from a coward."
He looked at them, trying to will them to understand.
"You want to save your people by making them stronger? Then let me prove my strength. I'm sure, even if I were to perish, you could salvage enough of what you need from me, but I want to do this properly. And I can't die." Arthur stared at them hard. "I refuse to. Not until Alfred's safe again." And then, "The organization doesn't want to kill me-- they want to enslave me. If this is a trap..."
Arthur turned away from them, fists clenched.
"If this is a trap and we run in there with an army... I can only imagine the worst happening. They're smart. They've been playing us this whole time. They probably know that we have a location now and why the hell would they let us have that if we could just swoop in and take him? Just like that?"
"What do you propose we do...?" Matthew asked, hanging onto his every word as though mesmerized.
Arthur looked at him. "We need to play them back." He said. "I have an idea. If it works--" He smirked, "When it works, we'll have Alfred and myself back safe and sound. I promise."
"You don't know much about this time period." Francis said slowly. "Are you sure you can promise something like that?"
The alpha exhaled a soft chuckle. "I've been studying it-- reading. You all left me alone in a room with books for weeks. Alfred talks a lot about everything. You think I don't listen?"
There was a strange silence in the room, as though the other omegas were all eavesdropping, but that was hardly on Arthur's mind as he stared down Francis, the King's face carefully neutral.
And then the man smiled. "You are a good specimen. I approve." He said easily. "I knew our strength would be born of love." A giddy little grin flickered to life. "I shall enjoy lording this over the other Kings." Clapping a hand on his shoulder, Francis called out to the room, "This alpha is now our third in command in this operation. Please treat him as such."
The room buzzed to life as the omegas within it chattered amongst themselves, some eager, some dubious, but all alive with an air of gossip. This was likely the most interesting thing they'd ever seen, Arthur mused.
Suddenly, the King turned to him again. "What is this plan that you have?"
"Well," Arthur began, knowing that Francis and Matthew wouldn't like it, "I want you to send me to the location you retrieved from his glasses."
Looking Forward to Tomorrow (Part 29)
(Anonymous) 2014-04-27 12:10 am (UTC)(link)And then the King sighed and extracted himself from Arthur's grip, giving him an exasperated, "You needed only to ask..." He looked like a parent weary over the acts of a child, but Arthur had seen it-- Arthur had witnessed the tremor of submission that had passed through his gaze.
"Alfred contacted me." Arthur said, wasting no time. He couldn't revel over petty victories when his mate was in danger.
Matthew was suddenly at his side, looking wary but interested. "How?"
"He called me."
The omega frowned. "His glasses are functioning? But I thought--..." Matthew turned and walked over to what Arthur could only fathom was a computer of sorts, although it was mostly lights and flickers of images and gel padded keys. "Shit-- they are functioning again!"
"Language, Matthew." Francis chided softly, gliding over to stand beside his son.
Arthur watched for a moment, only distantly aware of the way the other omegas in the room gave him wide berth. He joined them, peering with no small amount of intensity at the two. "Can we trace the call?"
"Even better." Matthew quipped. "If the call function is working again that means we can just pin point his location, although..." The omega bit his lip. "This is probably a trap." He said bluntly, looking at Arthur.
The alpha stared at him. "Perhaps." He admitted.
Francis looked at Arthur suddenly, cocking his head. "What did Alfred say to you...?"
Suddenly he had the focus of both omegas, but none of his resolve faltered. "They've induced heat in him. He begged me to find him and..." Arthur grimaced, "save him."
Matthew released a breath of air that sounded more like a hiss as Francis turned his head away with an emotion Arthur couldn't read.
The younger of the two omega spoke first, "He's never had a heat before-- not even by accident." Matthew sighed. "It's... it's not pleasant to have one when you haven't before. I would know. And I can't imagine what kind of conditions he's being held in..."
"A far cry from an omega's den..." Arthur murmured, ignoring the way Matthew looked at him with confusion. It was easy to tap into the raw, primal anger he felt and he summoned forth that feeling again as he looked up at the two. "I don't care if it's a trap. I need to find him."
"You are a very valuable creature, Arthur." The King said smoothly. "Your life is more important than any other. Would you still risk it for Alfred's sake?"
"Yes." It didn't even bear thinking about. "I know I'm important. I understand." He took a breath. "If I don't do this-- If I don't save my own mate who's suffering, alone, and in heat, I dare say my genetics are too faulty and dishonorable to even consider using to save your population. No alpha could live with that shame. You would spawn a race from a coward."
He looked at them, trying to will them to understand.
"You want to save your people by making them stronger? Then let me prove my strength. I'm sure, even if I were to perish, you could salvage enough of what you need from me, but I want to do this properly. And I can't die." Arthur stared at them hard. "I refuse to. Not until Alfred's safe again." And then, "The organization doesn't want to kill me-- they want to enslave me. If this is a trap..."
Arthur turned away from them, fists clenched.
"If this is a trap and we run in there with an army... I can only imagine the worst happening. They're smart. They've been playing us this whole time. They probably know that we have a location now and why the hell would they let us have that if we could just swoop in and take him? Just like that?"
"What do you propose we do...?" Matthew asked, hanging onto his every word as though mesmerized.
Arthur looked at him. "We need to play them back." He said. "I have an idea. If it works--" He smirked, "When it works, we'll have Alfred and myself back safe and sound. I promise."
"You don't know much about this time period." Francis said slowly. "Are you sure you can promise something like that?"
The alpha exhaled a soft chuckle. "I've been studying it-- reading. You all left me alone in a room with books for weeks. Alfred talks a lot about everything. You think I don't listen?"
There was a strange silence in the room, as though the other omegas were all eavesdropping, but that was hardly on Arthur's mind as he stared down Francis, the King's face carefully neutral.
And then the man smiled. "You are a good specimen. I approve." He said easily. "I knew our strength would be born of love." A giddy little grin flickered to life. "I shall enjoy lording this over the other Kings." Clapping a hand on his shoulder, Francis called out to the room, "This alpha is now our third in command in this operation. Please treat him as such."
The room buzzed to life as the omegas within it chattered amongst themselves, some eager, some dubious, but all alive with an air of gossip. This was likely the most interesting thing they'd ever seen, Arthur mused.
Suddenly, the King turned to him again. "What is this plan that you have?"
"Well," Arthur began, knowing that Francis and Matthew wouldn't like it, "I want you to send me to the location you retrieved from his glasses."
And then,
"Alone."
Re: Looking Forward to Tomorrow (Part 29)
(Anonymous) 2014-05-04 05:29 am (UTC)(link)i wonder what his plan is