Vengeance of The Broken Lycan Prince [BL]
Chapter 152: No Compromises, Not This Time

Chapter 152: No Compromises, Not This Time

[KAWAI]

The return of Tamiko to the Lycan lands did not go unnoticed as the morning was filled with whispers and murmurs of who Tamiko could really be to the king, for his majesty to go to all those lengths just to make sure Tamiko was okay or perhaps held a smile on his face.

It had gone past the Lycans that Tamiko was the outcast of Grealor, not to mention the fact that by the Kawai laws, Tamiko was a rogue and needed to face the consequences of being one upon his return home.

But that didn’t seem to be the case.

For a king who had women to punish deserters, he had grown awfully close to the boy who had nothing other than a history of slavery in the Grealor pack. And somehow, even with all the whispers, none of them was courageous enough to let the king know to his face.

"The people are talking, Zaffuto," Lord Sadako said at the breakfast table in the palace. They were currently in the king’s dining room, the one place that was reserved for the king and his family.

Hell, not even acquaintances of the king ever got to use that room and for the near-thirty years that the king had been out of touch with everyone, none of them had tried to look at it.

They knew more than anyone what it meant to go against the king and whether he was back as a nice joke or just the mad king, they didn’t want to risk their lives for nothing.

"Let them," King Zaffuto said as he looked at his son. It was no secret that the only thing the whispers would be about was the return of a rogue Lycan and a beta wolf from Grealor.

That shit raised so many eyebrows but as always, the king wasn’t the least bothered and maybe he should have tried to show some concern, right? And even if he did, his word was the law.

If he decided that Tamiko was the king, then that would pass without questions.

Life had to be that simple for his people because otherwise, he would fuck them over.

"How’s the food, Tamiko?" the king asked, careful not to use his last name with his son. They might not have been fighting each other for the road home, but Zaffuto was mindful of everything his son had said to him.

There were boundaries that his son had set for him and he wasn’t about to cross them just because he was the king and could do whatever he wanted.

He wouldn’t dare to hurt his son again, and so until Tamiko forgave him for being such a shitty king and not looking for him well enough over the years.

Zaffuto hoped that there would come a day when his son looked at him with love in his eyes, and not just out of obligation or even because he was needed to. Life isn’t that complicated, right?

"It’s alright. Thank you for having us," Tamiko responded in a formal tone and Lord Sadako almost facepalmed. It wasn’t new to him that the father and son still had a lot to work through, but he hoped that they wouldn’t be a little too formal with each other.

Then again maybe they were trying to keep the boundaries sane, but who would they be helping by that? What the fuck were they both trying to achieve like this?

"You’re always going to be welcome to dine with me, Tamiko. Always," the king added.

It was hard for him, truly to look at his son and not be able to say more to think. They both knew what was expected of them the moment morning had come and the informal allowances had been noticed by the people of Kawai.

It would not make sense for the king to defy his own rules. But then it wasn’t like Zaffuto Hinata was determined to care one bit about all of that. Insanity was one thing, but this, this was pure madness. Not that he was complaining.

"Thank you for the meal, Your Majesty," Danny said as he looked at the king. He was smart enough to know not to get comfortable with the mad king and all the history that he had over the years.

The man was dangerous and he was a wolf, which made it even worse.

All the old books talked of the wolves being the ones who betrayed the Kawai queen of hearts, and the fact that the king was dining with one of them was a probable insult to their injury and their losses.

This was a time when balance was needed, however insane it could get because frankly, they needed to work on so many things, no matter how hard they tried. It couldn’t just go away or be better just because the king was the king.

Or maybe that was how this was supposed to work, right?

Oh hell, it was challenging as fuck.

"You’re very welcome, Daniel. Let’s finish eating before you can go and explore the kingdom with Tamiko or whatever it is kids do in their free time these days," King Zaffuto said and Sadako sighed.

"They can’t, Zaffuto. The whispers have begun, which means that a revolution is bound in one way or the other. Tamiko might be safe because he is a Lycan, but the young wolf might not be on the same page.

"Letting him go out there is a risk and we know there are usurpers who have been waiting for the perfect moment to strike at you. Don’t give them that pleasure, brother," Lord Sadako said and the king just let out a scoff.

He couldn’t believe that this was such a time for him.

He was the king and how word was the law. But at the same time, he needed to decide if he wanted to be the dictator without a heart — the man he had been long before he met Liana or if he was the good king.

There was supposed to be a balance, but where was the balance when the king was betrayed and his heir taken from him? What was the balance when the king had to hide away because his rage was so much that he could have burnt down the entire realm to ashes?

Where was that balance when pain and hurt were all that he had known and when his little baby had been snatched from the womb of his very dear wife? Where the fuck was that balance back then?

"I am the king, brother. I will not let my son and his friend be intimidated just because of some damn rules. I have no problem being the monster to protect my son because it is a natural instinct.

"Those people out there need to remember that I am only kind because my dear son is here, because otherwise, I would have nothing to live for, not even them. I could as easily go back to snapping necks out of boredom, brother.

"Find a way to remind them of that. And if anyone dares to lay a hand on my son... KAWAI. WILL. BURN." the king warned before he got up from the table, after throwing his napkin on his dish.

He wasn’t in the mood to deal with the little fact and it was horrifying, to say the least.

"Excuse me," the king said as he left the breakfast table.