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"Princess Alice you will behave yourself for this," Archie said.
Parker pouted, both at being called her adopted name, not her actual name, and because she didn't want to do what Archie wanted.
"I behaved last time," she said.
Archie sighed and tried to run his hands through his hair only to be stopped by the crown he wore. She knew he was regretting officially adopting her, and therefore by the laws of his kingdom had to have her get married. Which she had already ruined for him twice. The first on purpose because she did not want to get married to anyone. The second though she had behaved to the best of her ability, but that had still upset the prince so much he had fled.
"You need to do better," he said. "It was hard enough finding omega princes for you. I doubt we will be able to find a fourth."
"I could just leave," she suggested. "Make things better for everyone."
He glared.
"That would not in fact make things easier. You are my legacy and that would only make things worse for the future."
Parker turned and stormed out of the room, refusing to look back.
She was hanging by her ropes from the rafters in her study when Alec came to her. Parker glared at him.
"If you say anything about this arranged marriage business I won't come down," she said.
Alec smiled and her heart eased a bit. He wasn't going to leave her because of this mess. Even if she wished the laws would let her marry him if she had to marry. But they couldn't even let anyone know that they loved one another because they were both alphas. Had been together since before Archie called her back to be adopted as his daughter. Why had she even agreed to it?
"I won't," he said. "But I did find out some interesting things about this new prince."
He came forward to be closer and she reached down to pat his head.
"Why would I care? He's just going to be another spoiled prince who won't like me and will get me in trouble with Archie," she said.
"This one has driven off even more potential matches than you have," Alec said. "So maybe you two can come to an agreement of sorts."
She didn't like that answer. She wasn't good at people.
Prince Eliot was at least handsome according to Alec. Parker didn't really understand what that meant. People were weird caring about appearances. But he was grumpy and it was clear he wanted to be there as much as she did.
But Archie and Eliot's king (father) had already decided when the wedding would be. So she had to find a way to win him over. What did omegas like anyway? She didn't know. Maybe he liked gifts? She had been told people liked to be given things.
Parker could give him things. She had lots of things thanks to Archie.
"This is for you," Parker said, holding out the basket she was carrying.
Her arms were stiff and she heard Archie groan behind her at how she was acting. But Prince Eliot took the basket out of her hands and pulled back the cloth covering it.
The three kittens then decided to start meowing.
"Kittens?" he said almost as if he didn't believe it.
"They are old enough to be away from their mom," Parker said. "They can eat adult food and use a box."
Eliot looked up from the basket.
"That is very thoughtful of you," he said. "Thank you for the kind gift."
He left shorty after that when her attempts at conversation failed. Then when she tried to do some of her other tasks she did them wrong somehow and get told to leave by Archie. Which led her to going back to her study to hide.
Alec was there waiting and pulled her onto the couch with an arm around her shoulder.
"That went well," he said.
"No it didn't."
He kissed her forehead.
"Prince Eliot both accepted your gift and was polite. I would say that is a definite win."
She scrunched up her nose.
"I don't think so," she said.
"Better than the last prince. He didn't even try to talk to you."
"He still ran away and Archie was still mad at me," she said.
"Archie is always mad at you," Alec said. "His own damned fault for not raising you to be able to do this. All he taught you was how to be a perfect thief."
That gave Parker an idea.
"Let's go steal something. Lord Dubenich isn't in his estate right now. We can be back before morning."
Alec chuckled.
"Anything to get that smile back on your pretty face."
They went to the estate. And Parker worked her way through the building, carefully working her way through the rooms, looking for the best thing to steal. It was an amazing set of dragon bones. Ones that she had heard about. It was the skull that she was going to take. The slight golden sheen spoke to her. Everything was as perfect as it could have been.
That was until she was on her way out to meet Alec. There was a masked man fighting the guards. Not just fighting as most would. This man wasn't using any form of weapon, nor did he have any armor on. He just wore simple linen clothes.
Yet he was winning against the other men who had light leather armor and multiple weapons each. She was impressed. Even more when she followed the man to find out that he was there to steal a vase that was worth only a bit less than the skull she was carrying.
He didn't notice her. Wouldn't unless she let him see her. That was what she was best at.
She couldn't wait to tell Alec when she got back to him with the skull in hand.
"What are they?" Prince Eliot asked.
He was looking into another basket that Parker had given him. She had been told that he had liked the kittens and was caring for them. So she had decided that he had to like animals.
"They are called guinea pigs," Parker said. "I don't know where they come from other than it is very far away from here. But a lot of the nobles keep them as pets around here."
"Huh," he said looking at them more closely. "They are pretty cute."
"I thought so too. Like you!"
Then she ran away embarrassed.
Parker hated being in rut. It was the worst. All her urges were stronger and she wanted to have sex way more than was good. And she hated that. At least Alec would stay with her the whole time and help. He was better at helping her than she was at helping him. Even though he said she was good at it.
They had to hide that fact though. Archie hated that they did this, but he knew it would happen so he helped them hide it.
It was nice getting to spend a few days with no one bothering her. Except Alec who was supposed to be.
Though at that moment he wasn't the one doing the bothering, he was laid out underneath her on the bed head thrown back as she kissed his neck, getting out some of her energy.
"You know," he said. "Next time this happens you'll be married."
She growled.
"Don't want anyone but you," she said.
"But you'll have him anyway," he said. "He's not that bad you know. I like him."
She nipped at his neck to get him to stop talking. But if Alec liked him maybe she would try somewhat harder.
"Would you like to go on a picnic with me?" Parker asked.
"I would be honored," Prince Eliot said.
There was something off about him, she thought. But she wasn't sure what it was. She knew his attitude was faked but then so was hers.
But the fakeness seemed to disappear when they got down to the stables. He completely changed as he walked through the stalls looking at all of the horses, before picking one to ride.
He was very good with the horses, even getting hers to calm down when she spooked as they rode.
Once finding a good spot they put down a blanket. Then Parker unpacked the food she had brought. There were sandwiches and teacakes. Plus some fruits she had gotten from a salesman.
"I haven't seen those before," Eliot said about the fruit. "What are they?"
"Lemons I think," Parker said with a small shrug. "I've never had them either."
She peeled one of them to try and they both tried at once. Her face puckered at the sour taste. Eliot managed to keep his under control though.
"I think those would be better for cooking than for eating," he said.
"If you say so," she answered. "I think they are way too sour."
He chuckled. Maybe even real. But it wasn't mean like the ones others used on her. She kind of even liked it.
They ate and Parker let Eliot talk about horses. It meant she didn't have to talk. But at the end he leaned over and looked at her closely.
"You and Hardison are secretly together, aren't you?" he asked.
She froze. This was going to be the end.
"No I don't mind" Eliot hurried to correct. "Just thought I should get to know him. if you are.
She nodded.
Two days later Parker went to see Alec in his workshop, only to be stopped at the door by an unexpected sight. Alec was playing his violin, which was not unusual. But Eliot was there too, watching and listening. He had an almost peaceful look on his face listening, the most she had ever seen since he had arrived.
She stopped to listen too, just out of sight of the men. The piece Alec was playing was familiar to her. One he played a lot. It was his favorite and she loved it too. Eliot liked it just as much.
She needed to steal something. It had been too long. So Parker put on a disguise and snuck into the city. There were always rich and terrible merchants around that she had no guilt stealing from. Alec had convinced her of that one.
But she only got to steal one small pouch before she came upon something completely unexpected. A couple of assholes were harrasing an old woman, which she would have put a stop to somehow. But that same masked man who stole the vase appeared.
And before anyone could do anything had the men on the ground. She wanted to know who the man was so she tried to follow him after checking on the woman and giving her the coins.
But somehow the man managed to shake her before she was able to follow him very far. It was frustrating.
Especially she was sure there was something weirdly familiar about the man and the way he moved. She was sure that she knew him from somewhere. She just couldn't quite place it and it was going to annoy her until she managed to figure it out.
She needed to get a chance to talk to Alec soon.
"It's called a capybara," Parker said. "They are from the same region as the guinea pigs. It's really friendly and needs friends. And they told me it could be friends with the guinea pigs and I couldn't just let it live alone."
She spoke really fast at the door of the room where she knew Eliot was keeping the guinea pigs. He was standing in the doorway looking at her confused. Then almost affectionate.
"Then it should stay in here with them," he said. "It was very kind of you to think of this."
"It just looked so lonely and I couldn't let it stay there alone any longer."
"You don't need to explain anymore to me," Eliot said.
He let her and the capybara into the room and she set it down on the ground. It immediately hopped off to inspect the guinea pigs. Who made squeaking noises at it and they all seemed content.
Parker stayed for a while at Eliot's invitation. He showed her how to hold them and which ones like to be held. It was nice. And the single best interaction she had ever had with an omega. He wasn't thrown off by her differences.
"I'm not ready for this," Parker said.
The wedding was the next day and she and Alec were spending their last night together before she was married. They were lying in her bed, not doing anything but cuddling, something she had never thought she would enjoy. But Alec had let her set the pace for every detail of their relationship. Which she had needed.
"I'm not sure you ever will be," Alec said. "But at least they are not forcing you to form a mate bond with him, just marry him."
"Like that's nothing," Parker said.
"Well he did come talk to me recently."
He began running his hand through her hair in a way that always calmed her. Which was the only reason she didn't jump out of the bed when he mentioned talking to Eliot about their relationship.
"Well he was saying that he found me just as attractive as he found you," Alec continued. "So he wouldn't mind at all if I wanted to be an equal part of your marriage. Even if it is secret."
"Would you want that?" Parker asked.
"Yeah, babe, I would love that for all of us. He is the right fit."
The wedding went without a problem. Archie seemed proud of her for the first time since she had become a princess of his kingdom. Not that she cared anymore. It wasn't worth it and she was only doing it to keep her home stable. But at least he was happy.
She spent the whole evening with Eliot at her side, knowing what would be happening that night. Parker gripped his hand more tightly than she should have. And noticed that his hands were not soft like any other royal omegas she knew. They were full of calluses and rough from hard work. Scars littered his fingers and knuckles. It made her think more than ever that Eliot wasn't what he seemed.
"Did you mean what you said to Alec?" she asked. "About having him be a part of our relationship."
"The pair of you seem to be a package deal," he said. "So yes, I did mean it. It helps that he's a very kind man."
"Okay," she said, a little less worried.
She wouldn't have to deal with her wedding night alone.
But first they had to go through wedding gifts. The most interesting of which was a whole herd of baby miniature goats. Which Parker was delighted by. Eliot a little less. But he also had a lot more animals to take care of already, with the cats, guinea pigs, and capybara. But Parker was happy enough when he agreed to keep them that she kissed him right there.
To everyone in the room's shock and amazement.
At the cheers she became overwhelmed and wanted to run. Which Eliot seemed to pick up on and pulled her out of the room. And back to hers where Alec was already waiting, Archie having banned him from the actual wedding.
Weeks passed and Parker noticed that sometimes Eliot would disappear. She was told he had been doing it the whole time he had been there. Only now she noticed. And she decided to follow him once. Alec came with her for his own curiosity.
It wasn't long before they found him in the training arena, sparring with some of the various people that liked to go there.
Parker recognized the way he fought right way.
"That's him," she hissed. "The other thief."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
Eliot noticed them and came over to them.
"You followed me?"
"We were curious," Alec said.
"I won't stop," he said. "I don't care if it's not proper for an omega."
"Don't," Parker said. "I like it. And what you use those skills for."
Eliot's eyes widened.
"You're the other thief? That took the dragon skull?"
Parker nodded.
"The world's greatest thief," Alec said.
Eliot gave him a skeptical look.
"No way," he said. "Everyone knows that is Parker. There's no way Alice is better."
"Alice isn't really my name," Parker said. "It's just what Archie chose when he made me a princess. I am Parker."
"This is going to be fun."