Sorry for not updating earlier.
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"No matter how far we come, our parents are always in us." — Brad Meltzer
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-Hassan-
I ran out of this place of madness. On my way home, a farmer was kind enough to take me in his charret. I was squeezed among other travelers; they all gave me strange, disgusted looks. Only then did I remember the smell…
Yes, I had forgotten about that — a whole day locked in that tiny cell, surrounded by human waste, vomit, and the lingering reek of alcohol.
I thanked the farmer with a coin once we were close enough to my home, then continued on foot. My mind was spinning with everything that had happened. My parents were probably furious at me.
Our mansion was surrounded by a beautiful forest.
My siblings and I used to enjoy that land with our fathers — hunting bunnies, swimming in the small lake, building little shelters.
As I approached, the garden carefully curated by my birth father finally came into sight, flowers blooming and trees tall like the building. I hurried; I desperately needed to wash the stench off me. Our old dog came running to me but backed off, rubbing his muzzle with his paws.
Dad was outside with Isaiah and Medhi, all seated with the Sumoa in their hands, the religious book.
Isaiah, who had become a priest in the temple of Murio, a small community of people mostly from Evsairy, Dad's motherland.
He was reciting verses of the book as my dad looked at him with love.
People there believed in multiple gods, unlike the Edolash people. Murio was the mother of all gods. Another thing the court could gossip about, the strange beliefs of this family.
My father never forced their beliefs on us, but they still took us to temples and churches.
I never had as much faith as my dad or Isaiah — more like Father, who went mostly out of obligation and support.
As a knight, he prayed for his family's safety during his absences and for the chance to return home to them.
Dad, when Father was on the battlefield, went to the temple of Murio every day to pray and make offerings.
I walked closer to them, and Dad's face shifted from relief to anger, then disgust.
"Where were you? What is that foul smell coming from you?" He asked, a hand covering his nose. He apologized to my brothers, who were still meditating, then took me inside the mansion.
He called Father's name, and the man appeared almost instantly, he gave me a shocked look, probably the smell. He asked both of us to follow him to his office.
"Sit" He ordered us. I sat on the green sofa, the same color as Father's eyes. Everything in this mansion reflected my parents' adoration for one another.
"Now what is wrong with you, my son? We raised you with good standards. You understand the value of money, of responsibility." The baron spoke calmly, but once he sat beside his husband and took his hand, his face hardened. "You were taught to respect others, especially your future spouse. So explain to us why I hear from Countess Vaughnia's own mouth that my son — a knight — was dragged out of a brothel by mercenaries claiming you owed them money." I hated this small troll of a woman, always talking behind people's backs. I didn't know why my father liked this woman.
"Now respond to me. Did we fail your education? I only ever wished for one thing: that you wouldn't turn out like the other knights of the brotherhood. I knew about your many sexual encounters — I didn't care — but this went too far. Everyone knows."
He looked at me with cold eyes. Father kept looking at him, trying to calm him, but Dad pulled his hand away. Father sighed, dad was mad almost all of his children had the wild personality of his husband. We just didn't care.
"Well with the amount of children you birth, dear father, your sexual encounters shall exceed mine." I chuckled, my parents glared. I looked back at three beautiful trees outside. When my fathers used to scold me in this room, I watched this beautiful tree.I had been quite the mischievous child and this tree grew a lot.
"Maybe I should chase you around the house like I did your little brother when he misbehaved. He turned out well — respectable, with a clean reputation, perhaps even marriage in his future. But you… once your contract with His Highness ends, once he has his heir and finds a wife… what will become of you, who would want you with such a reputation ?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, probably feeling the rise of a headache. Father tried to ask if he was ok but his man cut him off with his hand raised in the air.
"We can always marry you to the domestics at this point. But even they may not want you…" He looked at me like one of his students who he used to despise.
But even with all the anger he felt, he was sitting perfectly straight, always the picture of composure. He had always wanted everything to be perfect.
The gossip of the court: the perfect family, the perfect marriage, the perfect outsider commoner who rose to become baron and raised his husband's children so well. He worked endlessly to fit in.
Father didn't care nearly as much. Even now, he seemed more bothered by Dad's distress than whatever explanation I had.
"Respond to your dad, kid," Father finally said, irritated. He was a good father — he loved us and raised us well — but everyone knew he loved Dad more. Dad was his entire world. He loved us… just not as much.
"The prince tricked everyone. I went to the brothel to meet a friend. He sent people to drag me back because being seen there would breach our contract. I didn't do anything, Dad."
His eyes narrowed. I looked out the window, and the weather was indeed beautiful today.
"You are married. Marriage is sacred, even if it is not real." His annoyance was growing, and I retorted without thinking.
"Well, if marriage is so sacred, why didn't you stay in Evsairy with your fiancé?"
The regret hit instantly. Father shot up, coming toward me. I stood and tried to back away.
"So you want trouble today? Don't ever speak to your father like that, or you will not be welcome in this house again."
He stood tall, intimidating, his hands on his hips — positioning himself protectively in front of Dad.
"I didn't stay," Dad said in a low voice, "because I didn't wish to become a third wife. A slave. I didn't stay because I had fallen in love with your father, and we had you very quickly. When they tried to take me back to the man I was supposed to marry, your father had already taken me into his home as his husband, with you growing inside me.
And I didn't stay because most omegas who marry into such families die — beaten, or in childbirth."
He stood, voice trembling despite his composure, and left the room.
My father remained, the tension in his jaw sharp enough to cut.
"Don't ever bring that up again, son." His voice was deep, dark, and heavy. "You know I don't care what you do… but don't bring shame or sadness into your dad's heart. Not ever again." His words didn't just land — they stabbed, heavy and merciless, sinking into me like a punishment I deserved.
"Now take a shower, you stink. And call a domestic to clean up the mess you left on the sofa." He then followed dad.
I sighed at my inconsiderate words toward my parents but I barely had the time to process things, when my brothers opened the door.
"Well you did great, Hassan. Perhaps becoming a priest would redeem your reputation." Said Medhi, as he entered the room laughing. Isaiah followed a smirk on his face. Isaiah had the good looks of dad, has a tall, dark and very handsome alpha. 20 years only and he had seen most of the under-squirt of the noble woman. If dad had known I would surely wimp him.
Medhi on the other hand, was white like our father, he was lean and tall with soft features. He also was an alpha but less athletic. His hair was very straight, if nobody knew that he was from the Mormon family he could pass as a native pure blood Edolash. I remember the day of his birth 17 years ago. My parents were not expecting the child to be the copycat of Father.
"Oh please, you did way worse than me at a younger age. Finding faith was the only solution you had. These pretty little ladies you left all still ask me where my so-called stud of a brother is. Imagine the disappointment in their eyes when I told them you became a priest." I retorted, I got up from the sofa to get closer to them. "Now give me a hug." Even he ran away from me. In a public setting those two acted all proper like dad, but they had the wild personalities of their father.
"Hugh, Murio you stink. Get away from me!" Medhi screamed." Isaiah you sure are a role model to me, but except once I'm done touching the ladies I'll just get married. The boy chuckled, I gave him a stern look.
"Don't behave like us. I was a bag example and so is he. Look at us, I'm married secretly and he is a priest, a priest!" Isaiah glared at me, the Sumoa still in his hands.
"Don't question my faith. I didn't choose this out of escape from my problems but I truly wanted it." I was serious. I waved it off, not really interested.
"I'll take a shower now."
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The evening had finally come, the Morlon family was around the table chatting loudly, giggling and eating the delicious dinner made by the baron. My parents looked at us with love, then at each other.
My siblings and I were awkwardly looking at our food, the look they gave to each other was one we all knew before they gave the news of a new family member entering. Thanks to Murio, dad had prevented his husband from giving him any more children, they couldn't take care of more nor could dad's body handle more.
I still think a part of him feels ashamed of being labeled as promiscuous for having so many children until late and still loving his spouse dearly unlike most of the court.