Chapter Text
The Crescent family ruled the Northern Kingdom for as long as history has ever been documented. Their earliest ancestor was even said to be the first human child of the Goddess. As time progressed, their influence reached across all corners of the Planet, to the point that the royal bloodline would forever be remembered as the mightiest of all the kingdoms. What made the family unique was that each generation of heirs presented as omegas. Not once have any of the royals produced an alpha, or beta, heir.
Many noble families have sought to marry their finest heirs to a Crescent, but they never had a chance against the Shinra royal family. The Shinras, who ruled the Midgar continent as a family of alphas, have always had close connections to the Crescent family. Lord Hojo was a member of the Shinra family who won the attention of Princess Lucrecia Crescent. They later paired and had one omega child named Sephiroth. Everyone believed that the tradition would continue after Prince Rufus Shinra presented as an alpha and took interest in Princess Sephiroth.
After Sephiroth reached the desirable age of marriage, the Crescent family held several matchmaking events for their beloved son to find a suitable mate. Many royal and powerful noble families sent their best candidates along with the finest gifts in hopes of entering the Crescent Kingdom. But the biggest challenge was that Princess Sephiroth had a strong disinterest in courtship. Candidates after candidates have tried and shamefully failed to draw so much as a quirk of a brow from the aloof princess. Thankfully, Rufus managed to evoke a reaction from him during a sailing event around the island of Costa del Sol. However, despite everyone placing their bets on the famous royal Shinra to be Sephiroth’s mate, an alpha prince from the tiny Kingdom of Banora managed to court the powerful Crescent.
Banora did not have as much wealth as Midgar, but Prince Genesis Rhapsodos found a way to charm the public with not only his eloquent language skills, but also with his attractive features. Genesis was an alpha with one of the most gorgeous faces on the planet. Many people fawned over his sky-blue eyes and long red hair. Sephiroth was also stunning in his right and said to be the most beautiful out of all the people on the planet. Long, silver hair and the brightest green eyes that sparkled like the emeralds adorning his crown, many began to see how the two royals would make the most beautiful ruling couple in history.
There have been many retold versions of Princess Sephiroth’s reaction upon first gazing at the red head. Some said that he gasped, others swore that he blushed—but regardless, the Court felt that there was no way a prince from a tiny kingdom would marry into the illustrious Crescent family. Perhaps it was because Genesis had a gift for the arts, or perhaps it was his quick wit that caught Sephiroth’s eye— yet the longer the two royals were seen courting each other, the more people began to accept their relationship.
Sephiroth and Genesis learned that they were complete opposites, but complemented each other well. Genesis was quick to anger, whereas Sephiroth remained level-headed. Genesis spoke with his heart while Sephiroth was the voice of reason. Whenever Genesis became passionate about a topic, sometimes raising his voice at a member of the Court, Sephiroth would stare at him during his speech as if enamored by every word that came from his lips.
Rufus, however, was furious that Genesis was favored over him. He pulled every tactic possible to antagonize Banora’s royal family, but all his attempts failed. Genesis did not only outsmart Rufus, he also had enough support from other kingdoms to deflect any attacks that threatened his land. His efforts pleased the Crescent family and a wedding date was set soon after.
Genesis knew everything when it came to romance, and was aware that Sephiroth would be tricky to please after many failed attempts at seduction. He quickly learned that Sephiroth’s lack of sexual experience was the reason his mate delayed spending the night with him. The confession gave Genesis the incentive to be even more patient whenever they were alone. He first started with guiding Sephiroth’s hand over his chest as a way for his mate to grow accustomed to innocent touches. Then they began to involve their other senses, where hands that wandered near erogenous zones were quickly replaced by soft kisses. Those kisses then involved tongues that made Sephiroth express sounds that Genesis will forever remember in his heart. He would do anything to protect Sephiroth’s vulnerability, even if it meant exiling the next person who so much as stared at his beautiful mate.
They spent many nights learning about what they liked and disliked in the bedroom. How lucky that the chemistry between the two royals was so strong that every moment left them breathless. As their love deepened over time, Genesis wore his heart on his sleeve whenever it came to showering Sephiroth with adoration. Yet, Sephiroth preferred to show his affection where no one else could see. He eventually grew more comfortable with public displays, forcing whatever audience they had to turn away from the intensity of their love. The infamous Ice Princess of the North began to melt whenever he was near his Fiery Prince of Banora.
Both the Rhapsodos and Crescent families began hoping for a child. Genesis had his monthly rut cycles, but Sephiroth was a peculiar case. His heat cycles stopped appearing soon after he paired with Genesis. King Hojo and Queen Lucrecia called for every one of the world’s best doctors to find a cure, but so far, none of the so-called remedies worked. Sephiroth’s heat still never came.
Rumors of Sephiroth’s possible infertility reached the far corners of the planet. People began to question if Princess Sephiroth’s marriage to Prince Genesis was a mistake rather than a perfect match. Sephiroth moved to Banora after his wedding and was temporarily exiled from the Northern Continent until he produced an heir. Queen Lucrecia asked her husband to have mercy on Sephiroth, but King Hojo became discontent from the lack of heirs. What was assumed to be a perfect union slowly became a façade as the Banora Castle halls remained empty of children.
Sephiroth hated his parents’ visitations because they always ended in arguments. To make matters worse, Genesis would constantly mention his dreams of remodeling the castle once their first child was born. He’d often slip ideas about their future together with a home full of children, or asked his opinion on the inheritance details. The discussions happened nearly every day until the current King of Banora became ill, leaving Genesis in charge of handling the kingdom’s affairs. Sephiroth welcomed the distraction and took advantage of the extended periods without Genesis to entertain himself. The two grew apart as quickly as they first fell in love.
One day, Sephiroth asked Genesis for a tutor. He claimed that he wanted to learn more about the unique history of Banora.
“Are my own stories not enough?” Genesis said as he continued reading the tax documents.
Sephiroth sighed. “Hard to say since the only time I see you these days is during your rut cycle.”
He paused with signing the paper and gave him a pointed look. “At least they are regular. What would happen if they never showed, hm? Would we even remember each other’s names?”
One of the things that Sephiroth hated about Genesis was that he had poor control over his anger. Although his husband could instill fear whenever an outsider crossed him, sometimes his temper would spread to the people he cared for. “You do have a way with your sharp tongue. Amazing that you still have these so-called friendships across the planet.” Before Genesis opened his mouth to reply, Sephiroth turned his back towards him and left the office. “I’ll call for a tutor myself.” Sometimes he had to remind himself that he was still a Crescent. Even though his title didn’t hold as much power as before, the Court still answered to his requests.
Sephiroth spent his free time reading the list of qualified tutors. Many of them he knew from childhood, but he wanted to meet someone different. Spending his days alone in Banora bored him and he was ready for a change. Even his monthly trips to Costa del Sol were no longer exciting. What he never told anyone was that he preferred to keep a low profile to stifle the gossip. Because he hardly spent time with Genesis unless they were for social affairs, the rumors have gotten worse to the point that he once punched a duke for his insensitive comments. The Crescent family was known to always have composure, even during a heated exchange of insults. After that incident, he decided to quarantine in the castle.
Then one day, a servant entered the throne room and bowed at his princess. “Your Highness, the tutor that you have requested has arrived.”
“They may enter,” Sephiroth said with a wave of his hand. Today he wore his black doublet and pants since his husband was away. On the days that Genesis was around, he wore dresses. On the days that Genesis returned after a long trip, Sephiroth made sure to wear dresses that accentuated his figure. Their marriage may be strained, but Sephiroth loved to see the hunger in his mate’s eyes after nights of sleeping alone.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the chamber until a tanned, dark-haired man entered the room carrying scrolls. He wore a high-quality brown and gold tunic tied by a gold cord and had matching brown pants tucked in knee-high boots. Sephiroth’s gaze lingered on this stranger’s chiseled face, taking in the deep blue eyes that reminded him of the ocean. But what took him by surprise was his amazing physique underneath that outfit. This man’s arms were so thick that Sephiroth wondered if he wrangled chocobos as a hobby. A quiet moan left his lips, forcing him to cough and turn his head away from the stranger who was supposed to be his tutor.
Nobody has ever evoked a lustful sound except his husband. This man was attractive, yes, but perhaps he missed Genesis hence the odd reaction.
“Hello, Your Highness.” The stranger placed a hand on his chest and bowed. “My name is Angeal Hewley. I look forward to becoming your tutor if I meet your expectations.”
Sephiroth glanced back at the man and took in his appearance one more time. He was more shocked over the fact that Angeal looked around his age. There was no way that he was truthful about his accomplishments meant for the old and wise. However, something told him that this man wasn’t the type to falsify his credentials. “I expected you to be a lot older…”
By the gods, did he say that out loud?
His prospective tutor rose from his stance and rubbed his chin. “Hmm, I can grow out my beard if you want.”
The princess crossed his legs while maintaining a neutral expression. One of the things he learned from his mother was to always never give his expressions away, unlike Genesis who was an easy man to read. “That… won’t be necessary.”
“Well, what do you prefer then?”
The question shouldn’t stir something within him, but the way he misinterpreted it to be more suggestive than intended bothered him. “I prefer that you stick to the point of this meeting.”
“Alright.” Angeal dropped the scrolls on the ground. One of the papers rolled close enough to bump the throne steps.
Sephiroth watched Angeal walk towards him and pick the scroll from the ground. Did he do that on purpose, or…?
“I like to play this game where I write a subject on paper and have my students blindly pick one for them to first study.” He untied the ribbon and unraveled the scroll. “Usually, I have them pull a scroll from my bag; but since you’re a royal, I figured that I wasn’t allowed to do that.” He glanced at one of the guards who had a hand on the hilt of his sword. “Unless I test my boundaries anyway and potentially have my arm sliced off.”
He cocked his head to the side, intrigued by this person’s level of strange ideas. “You do realize that I am an adult? Your method would be best for a small child.”
Angeal shrugged his shoulders. “Age doesn’t matter when it comes to learning. My job is to make sure that you enjoy what I teach you.”
His words made Sephiroth quirk his brow. He suspected that those rare rewards listed in the biography may be true after all. “I specifically requested that I have a tutor who was well-versed in Banora’s history.”
“I know. I separated each scroll by Banora-only subjects. I guessed the ones that His Highness already covered on a basic level and decided to give you the full details on each topic.” Angeal read the word on the paper before turning it around to show the princess. “I’m positive he gave you a basket of these when you two first met, but I doubt he explained which herbs or spices would go well with this fruit.”
Sephiroth shook his head once he read the word. “What else do I need to know about them?” He was only aware of the name’s meaning, nothing more.
“I can teach you why they are considered a delicacy here. A lot of it has to do with the drought that destroyed most of the crops.”
Drought? Genesis never told him that Banora faced a drought. “Hmph.”
“And while you learn about Banora cuisine, I can then explain why your servants sing at certain times of the year in your kitchen. That topic will then lead to the fine arts section of my list of things to cover. You will begin to understand the connections for as long as you allow me to instruct you.”
The fact that a stranger knew about the singing servants told Sephiroth that Angeal was the ‘variety’ he longed for. “Very well. I’ll have my servants prepare your bedchambers.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Angeal gave him another bow.
Sephiroth’s nostrils twitched upon smelling rosemary. Either this man was a chef or he was a rare beta with a unique scent. Only alphas and omegas produced their own staple scents for the ranks to tell each other apart. “We will meet in the library tomorrow. If you wish to change the location of your instruction, notify my guards beforehand.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The princess felt a throb between his legs and let out a shaky breath. Genesis has been away for so long that Sephiroth began to wonder if he would be back in time for his rut. Otherwise, he’d have to find another outlet for his pent-up frustrations. Perhaps he should explore hobbies to occupy his mind before he’d do something regretful.
Long after Angeal left the throne room, Sephiroth returned to his bedchambers. As his servants disrobed him, one of the maids gasped and quickly stifled her surprise. Sephiroth glanced down while stepping out of his underwear and saw that it was completely soaked with slick.
Angeal left a message for Princess Sephiroth to meet him in the garden. The summers in Banora were hot compared to the yearly cold climate in the Northern Continent. Sephiroth dressed in loose robes that were thin enough to keep him cool, yet kept his modesty in the presence of others.
Sephiroth hardly slept because his mind kept wandering to yesterday’s interaction with Angeal. From the way his tutor spoke to the way his clothes stretched over large muscles, Sephiroth couldn’t believe that he already developed interest over a beta. He barely knew him, or what he was capable of, yet this man intrigued him somehow. Angeal didn’t have strong pheromones like an alpha, but he carried this certain charm that somewhat reminded him of Genesis.
The omega princess walked through the field of flowers while holding his shade umbrella. One of his guards offered to carry it for him but Sephiroth declined, stating that he was too short. Afterwards, he told them not to bother him unless it was for something urgent. If he were to be honest with himself, he secretly wanted to be alone with his new tutor. Angeal incited a rare form of lust that was only reserved for his husband. Sephiroth had to test the waters a little more before he concluded that he was just sexually frustrated.
Sephiroth found his instructor kneeling on the garden grounds. The princess quietly moaned once he noticed the sweat stains on Angeal’s sleeveless tunic. Thick, tanned arms flexed with each movement, leaving Sephiroth struggling to properly think. His tutor’s body was beautiful and left so much for his imagination. Lust coiled between his legs, causing his pussy to throb at the mere thought of those large arms wrapping around his waist and—
“Your Highness?” Angeal called.
He snapped out of his daze and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. Sephiroth stepped closer to him and said, “Hello, Angeal.”
“You’re a little red in the face.” He stood on his feet and wiped the dirt on his pocket towel. “The heat isn’t bothering you, is it?”
Gods, Angeal was so close that Sephiroth could smell rosemary again. He swallowed the lump in his throat and replied with, “I am a bit warm but it’s nothing to be concerned about.”
Angeal caught the tension in his voice and glanced back at the basket of herbs. “Hmm, maybe we should have an indoor activity instead.”
He shook his head. “I prefer that we sit under shade and discuss the herbs you’ve collected from my garden. I will call for refreshments.”
They later sat underneath the garden pavilion. Angeal handed him a sketchbook for Sephiroth to review while he described in detail about each plant and their uses. Sephiroth also asked one of the maids to bring a plate of freshly cut dumbapples for them to taste with the herbs.
“This would be a lot more fun if we cooked these, but I can at least let you taste the ones that are safe to eat raw.” He pulled an herb from his basket. “This one, for example, was first introduced from the Wutai Kingdom.”
Sephiroth listened intently to his tutor’s words, eyes glancing at the row of various herbs before looking back at the sketches. The princess noticed the initials ‘A.H.’ situated on the corners of each page. “Did you draw these?” he asked.
“Most of them. The ones that looked too complicated to draw were torn from books. Though, I’m considering creating a book of pressed plants at some point during my career.” Angeal rubbed his chin in thought.
He didn’t reply as he carefully turned the page. So far, Angeal has demonstrated superior knowledge of botany and had notable drawing skills. “What is this called?” He pointed at a detailed drawing of a pretty flower.
Angeal walked around the table to get a closer look. “Give me a moment while I try to remember the scientific name.”
Angeal placed his hand on the back of Sephiroth’s chair, putting them even closer under the pavilion. When his tutor said random names to himself as he tried to recall a specific one, Sephiroth did not hear one word because his heart was beating so fast that it drowned out all other sounds. He could feel his body stir as his eyes lingered on the sweat trails running down Angeal’s neck before they disappeared underneath his tunic. Sephiroth imagined licking it away.
The instructor frowned at the expression on his face. “Your Highness, are you certain that you’re…” he trailed off the longer he stared into cat-like eyes. Angeal heard descriptions of Sephiroth’s beauty that practically started a war between the Shinra and Rhapsodos families. Gazing into these green eyes helped him understand why Rufus went to such lengths to have Sephiroth as his queen.
When those pupils changed in size, Angeal recalled seeing cats do that when they were excited. Sure, he loved teaching his students about botany but never have they shown this much interest over plants. He cleared his throat and continued, “Are you sure you don’t need to go inside the castle?”
“Do not worry about my health. I am capable of recognizing signs of heat exhaustion,” Sephiroth replied.
“Hm, alright. Unfortunately, I drew a blank over this flower’s name. Sorry about that.”
Even when Angeal continued his lecture on another plant, listening to this man’s voice was enough to keep him content. He made sure to split his attention between the sketchbook and Angeal’s side profile. The princess thanked the gods that Angeal wasn’t an alpha. He still probably smelled his pheromones with how close they were, but betas didn’t respond so strongly compared to alphas. He secretly wondered how he smelled to Angeal. Was his scent pleasant? Did it make him interested too?
“What did you say?” Angeal asked with a frown.
He gave him a long blink. “What did I say?”
“Something about scents.”
How embarrassing that he spoke his thoughts aloud once again. “Why do you smell like rosemary?”
“I do?” He sniffed his arm and barely picked up anything outside of sweat and the herbs he collected earlier. “I love cooking with it but that was weeks ago since I last did anything with my supply.”
Ah, of course. Alphas and omegas’ senses were so keen that they could detect a scent that was over a decade old. The two ranks made excellent spies for the Courts. “Do I have a unique scent as well?”
He took a few whiffs and made a pleased sound. “I wouldn’t call it unique, but more like expensive.”
Sephiroth tried not to shiver from his action. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve been around other nobles who have worn similar perfume notes, but nothing really stands out to me.”
He was rather disappointed that he didn’t have a special scent. Genesis claimed that he naturally smelled like gardenia flowers, which were part of the Crescent family’s Coat of Arms. Angeal seemed to only smell the perfume that his mother gifted him.
“Here.” Angeal reached for an apple slice and wrapped the leaf of an herb around it. “This method is quite common here during the summer months. The leaf gives your tastebuds a cooling effect like mint.” He offered the wrapped slice to the princess.
Sephiroth stared at his instructor’s hand and was reminded of the many times Genesis fed him in bed. When they first tried it, Sephiroth felt like a sick child. His husband told him to relax as it was meant to be an intimate act. What was first assumed to be a sign of affection from mother to child was quickly understood to be foreplay between lovers.
The princess took a bite of the apple slice directly from Angeal’s fingers, remembering to maintain eye contact. He caught the eyebrow twitch from his tutor before he leaned back in his chair. Sephiroth kept a hand in front of his mouth to maintain his table manners while he chewed. He tasted the herb’s cooling effects and sighed in relief. The herb added a mild bitterness to the sweet-tasting apple, balancing the flavors quite nicely. “It’s delicious.”
Angeal’s mind replayed soft lips briefly tasting the tips his fingers. Did His Highness not realize that he was supposed to grab the slice from his hand? “I’m…glad…” Thick eyelashes lifted, exposing those beautiful wide pupils. Any other person would find his eyes to be odd, yet Angeal believed Princess Sephiroth to be ethereal.
Angeal ate the other half of the slice. His deep blue eyes held the princess’s gaze as he licked the juices off his fingers. He gave them slow, languid licks—daring Sephiroth to be the one to feel embarrassed since he chose to tease him first. It finally dawned on him that the princess was more interested in him rather than their conversation. Angeal was no stranger to lustful stares from others, but for these looks to come from a princess—a married one at that—was completely new for him.
The heat did not help with Sephiroth’s attempts to catch his breath. He quickly reached for his glass of water and took several large gulps. He wanted nothing more than to get rid of his sexual frustrations but not with this man. Angeal wasn’t his husband for Goddess’s sake. “I would like to cut our session short.”
“I think that would be best.” He needed to be careful because no matter what happened, Sephiroth was a princess and he was just a commoner.
Sephiroth returned to his bedchambers and leaned back against the closed door. The room’s coolness helped him physically relax but his mind began racing at the memory of Angeal licking apple juice off his fingers. He mentally replayed the flick of a pink tongue over and over and over.
The princess dragged his hands down his body, grasping his robes and lifting them high enough to allow more cool air to caress his skin. Sephiroth sighed when he balled the cloth in one hand while the other slipped between his legs. He couldn’t hold back his whimpers when he cupped his pussy over the thin cloth, breath hitching at the constant squish sounds that could be heard every time he added pressure. He did not care if the guards could hear or smell him from behind this door; all he wanted was for someone to ease this rising desire between his legs.
Sephiroth pushed his underwear aside and rubbed his clit in slow circles. He wished that these hands belonged to someone else. He wished that he could smell his husband’s arousal while listening to those lustful growls. The princess ached to feel a hard cock rubbing on his exposed thigh, leaving a trail of precum all across his pale skin.
“You’re so wet.”
It wasn’t his husband’s voice that reverberated in his ears.
Sephiroth ignored the memory of smelling rosemary and rubbed his clit even faster. But then he suddenly imagined that man’s fingers playing with his sopping cunt, panting in his ear and whispering all the filthy things that he wanted to do to him. Sephiroth honestly didn’t consider Angeal to be the type of person who used dirty talk during sex, but it was nice to let his imagination run wild.
His memory of Genesis’s tastes in the bedroom began to morph into something that he thought Angeal would like. It was his tutor’s finger sliding into his dripping cunt while his thumb flicked against the clit. Sephiroth moaned again—only this time as loud as he wanted to be, no longer caring that the guards stood not too far from his bedroom door. Dark blue eyes would watch him as a finger moved in and out of his pussy. A familiar voice would ask if he wanted more—to say what he craved. The princess whispered his desires, eyes fluttering close as he pushed away all doubts just to have this moment to himself. He added a second finger, biting his bottom lip to suppress a pitiful whine from escaping. But even as he tried to hold back his sounds, his fingers pressed against that spot that made him weak in the knees.
“Your pussy won’t stop squeezing my fingers.”
This felt so good, so unbelievably good.
The same tongue he consistently thought about would lick his neck while twisting those thick fingers inside his cunt. Sephiroth briefly thought about moving to the bed but he didn’t want to wait for the servants to provide fresh sheets afterwards. All he wanted to do was drown himself in pleasure for as long as he could stand it.
“Don’t hold back,” Angeal’s voice echoed. “Come for me, Your Highness.”
The princess moved his fingers faster until he felt that tight clench followed by gushing sounds growing more pronounced with each thrust. He cried out as his orgasm forced his body to arch from the door. Thighs trembling, fingers coated with slick—Sephiroth hasn’t felt this good in a long, long time.
He caught his breath and slowly opened his eyes. Pulling his fingers out, he brought his soaked hand to his mouth and licked it clean. He imagined that it was Angeal licking everything away instead.
“You taste amazing, Your Highness.”
Sephiroth’s eyes glanced down at the wet spot on the floor.
Genesis, please come home.