Fought for Me
Chapter 10: I Promise Now
(Guys I am so sorry for being the biggest liar on planet Earth. This was supposed to released a month ago. To be so honest I don't love how this chapter turned out but I know exactly how I want the last two chapters to go so this is a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Also this chapter is way longer than I meant for it to be. Anywho, please enjoy and let me know what you good people think!)
Raya did not wake up in a particularly good mood. Aulia was extra testy the night before and Charanya was nowhere to be found so she can't even complain about it to her. She's also unable to find Namaari which is very strange. The woman's usually like three feet away from Raya for the most part. Must be an off day all around.
Aulia is thankfully not a fussy baby ninety percent of the time so Raya can handle these kinds of one off days. Certainly doesn't mean she's going to enjoy it though.
There isn't much for Raya to do today. Heart has absolutely flourished in the recent months thanks to the help of the other four lands. Aulia is hanging out with Ai for lunch so Raya figured she should just eat her own meal outside by herself.
It is a truly beautiful day even if Raya feels like a walking corpse. Sun is shining, sky is clear, and there's a small warm breeze keeping her at a comfortable temperature.
Honestly, eating this meal alone felt really nice. Peaceful, even. Raya loves the people around her. She really does. Spending this time with family and friends is what really makes life worth living. But so many people all the time gets overwhelming, especially for her.
Therefore, Raya will take in this moment of serenity and enjoy it. She takes a large bit out of her food and savors every flavor. Damn, this food is good. Nothing can ruin such a beautiful moment-
"Princess Raya. It is an honor to be acquainted with you again," the voice Raya unfortunately recognizes as Mali stated.
Raya fucking hates it here.
Seriously, was one moment so much to ask for? She gets a little bit of peace and this binturi materializes out of nowhere and ruins? This may be a bit of an overreaction, but Raya kind of wants to kill herself.
Raya worries she's getting a little too comfortable after the Druun left. The Heart alpha's not even wearing scent blockers and yet Raya still didn't realize Mali was there until now.
"Mali. It's been years," Raya stated, allowing annoyance to creep out of her tone.
The Heart princess should be mature and have a civilized conversation, but hell. She's young and lived in the wilderness for several years. The people will give her a break for acting petty. So, Raya looked at Mali's mouth and stared. She stared hard.
"Indeed it has. I came to- is something on my face?" Mali asked when she took note of Raya's intense gaze.
"Oh no, it was my mistake. Thought I saw something stuck in between your teeth. Looked an awful lot like an antenna," Raya said with a wicked grin.
Mali awkwardly coughed in her hand. Good. Be awkward, you evil rat.
"Charanya was always very creative," Mali sighed.
"Didn't really give her much of a choice now did you?" Raya glared.
"I did not. That's why I came up to you. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted when we were kids. Both Noya and I were on a power trip and egged each other on because we thought we were so superior to the rest of the world. Then the Druun hit and, well, you know what happened. Certainly got my head out of my ass and made me realize how much of a binturi I was. So, I'm sorry. Truly," Mali told her sincerely. Even her scent was remorseful.
Damn, that's an actual apology.
This.......is not what Raya was expecting. She knows she talked rather optimistically with Charanya about Mali turning over a new leaf, but Raya honestly didn't think it was actually going to happen.
"Thank you. I appreciate the apology. The Druun changed a lot of things for a lot of people. It's all water under the bridge in my books," Raya told her with a light smile.
No point in holding a grudge. But Raya would keep an eye out, just in case. As long as Mali didn't mention the courting this would actually be a fun conversation between old classmates.
"That's good. I wanted to apologize in person because I figured you were unable to read my courting letter," Mali shrugged.
When is it Raya's turn to be happy?
"Oh? And how did you know I didn't read such a letter? Maybe I didn't even know you wanted to court me in the first place," Raya shot back.
"I saw you and Charanya chuck mine and many others gifts in the dumpster. Then I heard you both say it would be a waste of reading the letters so it's a good thing you burned them all," Mali explained.
Ah. That would do it.
"Ahahahahaha so the thing is-" Raya said with incredibly nervous laughter.
"Don't worry about it. Whatever your reasons are, I completely understand. I figured since you hadn't read the letter, the least I can do is apologize formally," Mali smiled.
Ah geez. Why does Raya feel way more awkward than Mali looks when she's not even the one that basically got rejected?
"I really do appreciate it. There's just so much going on, and there's my daughter, so courting is really not on my priority list," Raya attempted to explain.
"Like I said, I totally understand. Friends?" Mali asked, holding out a hand for Raya to shake.
Oh hell, why not?
"Friends," Raya agreed while shaking her hand. Maybe Mali really isn't so bad after all.
"Say, now that we're friends and all, are you coming to the blue moon festival in a couple weeks? We could use the bodies," Raya told her.
"Oh, absolutely. I think that," Mali began.
As the Heart alpha was speaking, Raya spotted Namaari. That little binrturi! Where has she been?
Very easily distracted, Raya basically forgot that Mali was talking and called out to Namaari.
"YO UNDERCUT! WHERE YOU BEEN?!" Raya yelled.
At once, Namaari's neck snapped to where the Heart omega is located. Further proof that Namaari has embraced her Undercut identity, in Raya's personal opinion.
"I've been looking for you everywhere! You just disappeared," Namaari frowned as she walked towards her.
"Not surprising you could only find me when I revealed myself. You have a history of being a questionable tracker," Raya grinned.
"It's not my fault. You're so small, how's anyone supposed to see you?" the Fang woman smugly asked.
Raya rolled her eyes and was about to respond when she noticed Mali out of the corner of her eye. Oh right! Better be polite and introduce them.
"First of all, I'm going to get you back for that comment. Second of all, Namaari, please meet Mali. She's a friend from childhood. Mali, Namaari," Raya smiled.
Honestly, given their personalities, Raya expected the two to get along quite well. She was quite surprised to find that both of them looked at each other with a mildly irritated expression. It's like the two alphas were inconvenienced that the other was there.
Maybe they already met before?
"Pleasure to meet you," Namaari said in a way that absolutely did not sound like it was a pleasure at all.
"Pleasure is all mine, Princess Namaari," Mali said with crossed arms.
"Have you guys met before? You seem to know each other quite well," Raya asked with rather nervous laughter.
"Nope. First time meeting," Namaari shrugged.
Huh. Weird.
"Indeed it is. I have to run, but it was nice catching up with you, Raya. I'll see you at the festival, if not sooner. Have a wonderful day," Mali said with a small wink.
With that, she left. Raya immediately nudged Namaari's.
"What was that all about?" the Heart woman asked.
"What was what all about?" Namaari asked, apparently trying to play dumb.
"Are you sure you two have never met before? Kinda seemed like you hated her. You guys were doing that weird nonverbal alpha showdown thing," Raya said with a raised brow.
"No idea what you're talking about," Namaari simply stated.
Ugh, whatever. It's honestly not that important.
"If you insist. Just at a curiosity, have you seen Charanya at all today? Couldn't find her for the life of me," Raya explained.
"Nope. I can't seem to find Tien either. Weird," Namaari mumbled.
"HEY! RAYA! BINTURI! WHERE HAVE YOU PEOPLE BEEN?" Raya's dearest friend screamed.
Behind her, Tien was following like a lost puppy. Well, speak of the devils and they shall appear. Huh, now that Charanya's here, maybe she has some insight on the whole thing with Mali.
"Ranya, super quick random question? You didn't happen to hear anything about Mali or Noya, have you?" Raya asked.
"No way! You had a weird interaction too?" Charanya gasped.
"Oh yeah! She did a whole apology and from what I could tell, it was sincere. Anything like that happen to you?" Raya asked.
"Yes! Noya came up to me and also gave me a genuine apology. Who would've guessed?" Charanya asked thoughtfully.
"Not me, that's for sure," the taller omega huffed.
"I'm sorry, who are these people?" Tien asked.
"People we knew from our childhood. They were little jerks but changed their ways, I suppose," Charanya shrugged.
"I thought you guys were friends," Namaari said, now very confused.
"It's a very long and irrelevant story. Guess they grew the hell up during the Druun," Raya shrugged.
"Looks like it. I will be keeping the bugs on standby though," Charanya noted.
"You know what? I'm not too sure I want to know," the Fang princess muttered.
"Okay, I realize this is an abrupt topic change, but you guys are coming to the blue moon festival right? Ba's really excited about it so I've been harassing everyone I come across to attend," Raya explained.
"You already know I'm going. Ma and Grandma wouldn't miss it," Charanya nodded.
"I will too. My mother's leaving in a couple days but she should be back in time for the festival. Guess she has a date or something," Namaari shrugged.
Charanya, well aware of the fact that her grandmother is probably the date, looks like she wants to vomit. Now that Raya's thinking about it, does Namaari know her mother's date is Charanya's grandmother?
Oh, Raya needs to see that reaction.
"You're coming along too, aren't you?" Namaari asked, looking at Tien.
"Yes. My family will also be attending," the other alpha stated.
"Please don't tell me your father's coming," Charanya begged.
"No, he will not be joining us. It's just my mother and brothers," Tien assured her.
"What? Why don't you want her father to come?" Raya asked her friend curiously.
"The man hates my guts," Charanya bluntly stated.
"He does not hate your guts," Tien frowned.
"If I was on fire and he was holding a glass of water, he would quench his thirst," Charanya stated with an eye roll.
"You exaggerate," Tien bluntly stated.
"Literally every time you bring Charanya up, your father looks at you like you shot him in the leg," Namaari added.
The other three were quite shocked that Namaari backed up anything Charanya said. Then, the shorter omega absolutely cackled.
"I mean if Namaari's agreeing with me, you have to be wrong Tien," Charanya said between giggles.
"I did not come here to get ganged up on," Tien huffed with a light blush on her cheeks.
"You knew what you were getting into when you met me," Charanya snorted.
"No, I really didn't."
"I literally broke into your tent running from a guard who saw me destroy property. Please be serious Tien."
Raya snorted as the two continued to bicker. Namaari seemed to be zoning out and Raya, being the good friend that she is, stepped on the Fang woman's foot. Namaari, now out of her daze, winced and turned to glare at the omega.
"Is there any particular reason why you did that?" Namaari glared.
"No, it just felt right," Raya smiled.
"I can not believe I put up with you."
******************************
Aulia loudly shrieked Raya awake the very next day, which is always a fun way to wake up. That little girl does not give Raya peace ever.
The Heart woman groggily sat up and shuffled to her loud child. Once Aulia was tucked safely into her mother's arms, the shrieks devolved into simple yelps of indignation. It was probably time for a diaper change. And change it did.
Once Aulia was in a clean diaper and new clothes, she became perfectly content to play with the edge of Raya's shirt. The Heart woman took the opportunity to reapply her scent blockers and brush her hair.
Due to the fact that she's still waking up, Aulia yawned very loudly. Her baby yawns are so damn cute. Aulia throws her whole head back when she needs to yawn. Raya loves it honestly.
Then the Heart princess was struck with the rather painful reminder that Namaari also throws her head back when she yawns. It brings Raya to a subject she does not enjoy thinking about. The subject being the fact that Namaari has zero clue she has a child.
Honestly, the past couple days, Raya's starting to get the feeling that she should tell Namaari that Aulia's hers. She's seen how those two interact and they obviously deserve to at least know about each other.
But damn, Raya's terrified. She's terrified of how her relationship with Nmaaari will change because no matter how good or bad Namaari reacts to the news, things will change between them.
Also, hiding the fact that Namaari has a child is probably grounds for war, but Raya is sorta kinda hoping it doesn't come to that. Ugh, why does this have to be her life? Why couldn't she have gotten knocked up by some nobody with zero authority whatsoever?
There's also the issue of how to best tell Namaari. What does someone who has been hiding the fact that she has a kid with a person for well over a year say to said person? Hey man, remember when we fucked for a week straight? Well we procreated and the creation was Aulia, my kid.
...Raya's going to have to fine tune the script a little.
Even with all her worries, something in the Heart woman's gut is telling her to fess up soon. Namaari's going to have to learn the truth eventually.
Given the fact that Raya is pretty confident in Namaari's character, she can safely say that Namaari doesn't seem like the type to abandon her kid despite her young age. She also doesn't seem like the type to start war over the situation. Then again, Raya didn't think she was the type to get pregnant at seventeen. Toi, life is so stressful.
"You know, you're like my favorite person in the whole world, but you give me heart palpitations," Raya honestly told Aulia.
Aulia merely smiled in response. Raya smiled back and pressed a light kiss on Aulia's cheek. The contact caused her sweet baby to giggle. This prompted Raya to give her another kiss. In a flash, Raya pressed small quick kisses all over Aulia's face. The baby erupted with pure laughter and began squirming around in Raya's arms.
The Heart woman laughed and was about to continue her kisses when someone knocked on the door. At this hour, the only people that could be out the door are Charanya, Namaari, or her father.
"Which one are you?" Raya yelled.
"The Fang one," Namaari replied.
"Mkay! Come in!" Raya said.
Namaari then entered the room and practically slammed the door behind her.
"Sheesh, what did my poor door ever do to you?" Raya snorted.
"My mother is making me lose my fucking mind," Namaari groaned as she face planted onto Raya's bed.
"So business is as usual then?" Raya asked with a raised brow.
"More so today than others. I think holding Aulia would solve my problems," Namaari said while holding out her arms.
Raya rolled her eyes and gently handed her daughter off to Namaari. Aulia, now recognizing the Fang woman, smiled and lightly patted Namaari's nose with her tiny baby hand. Namaari grinned at the gesture and poked Aulia's cheek.
Those two are so adorable together it physically hurts. The reality that Raya is going to have to fess up soon weighs heavily on her mind. She needs a minute to gather herself.
"I'm going to change in the bathroom really quickly. Mind keeping an eye on her?" Raya asked as she hurriedly shuffled through her closet.
"No problem. She's safe with me," Namaari easily replied.
"I was talking to Aulia, but the gesture is appreciated," Raya smirked.
It took a split second for the jab to register in the Fang alpha's brain, but when it did Namaari decided the mature thing to do is to throw a pillow at Raya.
"You are so lucky you're holding my daughter right now," Raya said while pointedly looking away from Namaari.
"I know, I need to get my hits in while I can," the other woman laughed.
Raya scoffed as she closed the bathroom door. Okay, don't sob. A little bit of crying is fine, just do not make it obvious or auditory.
So there the Heart Princess sat, curled up on the bathroom floor in literal tears while her baby and the woman she loves are playing in the next room. This isn't how she wanted her life to turn out. Raya didn't want to fall in love with someone unattainable, she didn't want her child to be doomed from the start to grow up in two homes, and that's if the parentage reveal conversation goes well.
This secret Raya's hiding is huge. It's a literal child that she shares with Namaari and she has been lying about it for months. Namaaari may not forgive her for this, and honestly? She'd be in the right.
What would happen in the unlikely event of Namaari ending up being so enraged that Raya kept Aulia hidden from her that she really does start war? Would Raya have to surrender custody of her daughter? Would she even get to see her again? How would she-
"Raya, you okay in there?" Namaari asked.
Shit. This probably isn't the best time for a break down. Raya hastily rubbed her hands over her eyes to get rid of the tears. She took in a few deep, calming breaths before answering.
"Yeah, I'm good. Ended up with a bit of a headache this morning," Raya lied.
She also decided to take this opportunity to start actually changing her clothes. Washing her face is probably another good step.
"That sucks. Want me to get you anything? I know a couple teas that get rid of a headache in the blink of an eye," Namaari offered.
The guilt is starting to eat Raya alive. The Fang alpha needs to stop being so nice to her. She doubts it'll last once the truth comes out. Maybe Raya just needs to soak this in while she can.
"That's fine, it's nothing major. I think I'm also just tired. Some people like keeping their Ma awake all night," the Heart princess grumbled.
"I wonder who could be so cruel. It's definitely not Aulia though. She's the picture of innocence," Namaari teased.
"You are so biased," the Heart omega said while rolling her eyes.
Now that she looked presentable, Raya swung open the bathroom door. Namaari simply shrugged.
"How do you expect me not to be biased? Look at her!" Namaari insisted.
Raya stared at Aulia for a second. Then Aulia giggled. Raya tried really hard not to react, but she just couldn't help it. She had to smile back.
"Okay, points have been made," Raya relented.
"Thought so. Alright Aulia, I'm going to have to put you down real quick. I need to ask your Ma a favor and there may be some begging involved. I don't want you to see me like this," Namaari said while placing Aulia in her crib.
Oh? A favor? And one that could potentially require groveling? Huh.
"Raya, I have a request. A very important request. A request that will save my life," Namaari said.
"I have a feeling this is going to be ridiculous, but I'll bite. What is it?" Raya asked.
"So remember how I said my evil mother was making me lose my last shred of sanity? To very briefly explain, she keeps trying to set me up and she's using this festival as an excuse," Namaari started.
Oh. Okay. That pisses Raya off way more than it should. Her inner omega was going ballistic at the thought of Nmaaari with someone else. Shit, she needs to respond and sound normal.
"Huh. How do you feel about that?" Raya asked in what she hoped was a calm voice.
"Not very interested, which is why I need your help," Namaari told her.
This is great news! Now Raya doesn't feel the insane urge to climb on Namaari and make out with her to stake a claim.
Awesome. Love this for her.
"Alright, what do you want me to do?" the Heart woman asked.
"I just need you to be around me as much as possible. Just constantly talk to me, compliment me, sit right by me, cling to me, and generally do not leave me alone," Namaari requested.
"Oh, so I'm gonna be cockblocking you while simultaneously acting as your adoring fan the entire night?" Raya clarified.
"That's correct," the Fang woman nodded.
"I swear to spirits Namaari, if this person is a total bitch to me," Raya started.
"Oh she definitely will be. You know very well how vicious omega socialites are. The ones from Fang are a particular breed of insane," Namaari shrugged.
Wow, the idea of another omega flirting with Namaari genuinely makes Raya want to rip her own hair out. Raya's probably going to go into a literal coma when Namaari starts to court people. Seriously, one problem at a time.
"What am I getting out of this, exactly?" Raya frowned.
She was not willing to say that Namaari staying single is more than enough motivation to do this. Curse you, unrequited feelings.
"Uh, my eternal servitude and devotion?" Namaari tried.
"I already have that. Next," Raya said smugly.
Honestly, the Heart princess thought Namaari would deny it. Instead, she kept quiet and continued to think.
"I'll give you my dessert for the next month," Namaari offered.
"Now we're talking!" Raya beamed.
"So you'll do it?" Namaari asked hopefully.
"I'll be on you like a leech," Raya giggled.
“Oh thank the gods,” Namaari sighed in pure relief.
Raya merely smiled as she thought about all the ways this favor would inevitably blow up in her face. You only live once, as they say.
Apparently Raya is going to make her one life as painful as possible.
******************************
"I don't want to go," Raya bluntly stated.
"Are you actually fucking with me right now?" Charanya deadpanned.
In Raya's defense, she honestly woke up feeling like absolute hell this morning. Her head is pounding, her throat is all scratchy, and one of her nostrils is completely clogged. Raya vowed she would play off her cold symptoms until after the festival to support her father, but she is coming to regret that choice.
"Listen up punk, we already agreed to go to the festival. Ba's so excited," the shorter omega insisted.
"We'll also probably be seeing Mali and Noya. I don't know what the hell their problem is with Namaari and Tien, but I swear they always look like they're going to brawl whenever they make eye contact," Raya frowned.
She had originally thought the absurdity with Mali and Namaari would go away. Then she heard from Charanya that Noya and Tien had issues which is just so much more confusing. Why can't alphas get along? It's so ridiculous.
Raya and Charanya suspect it's some power struggle they do. Alphas always have to be the best, the strongest, the fastest, blah blah blah. Alphas are so moronic.
"Admittedly, I hear you. It does sound like a disaster waiting to happen. Try to remember that this festival is supposed to be fun. Let loose! Live it up!" Charanya insisted.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I don't know, I just have a bad feeling," Raya frowned as they began walking.
"You always have a bad feeling," Charanya ever so kindly reminded her.
"True," Raya admitted.
"C'mon, let's get dressed and grab a snack. You'll feel better," Charanya smiled.
Snacks did always make her feel better. Worth a shot.
Right when she thought she couldn't get anymore inconvenienced, Noya came rushing down the hall to the two of them. She stopped for a moment before looking at Charanya with a hopeful expression.
"Okay, super long story short, there was a total outbreak with the chefs. About half of them are down with the flu and we really need more people that can cook. Therefore, I'm kind of begging for your help," Noya sighed.
"Oh, damn. Yeah, of course. I'll see if I can grab my grandmother to join us," Charany agreed.
"Thank toi," Noya said with pure relief in her voice.
"I can help, too," Raya offered, momentarily forgetting she had a job to do tonight.
"No, no you can't," the annoying omega shot back.
"When it's not jackfruit jerky, I'm a good cook!" Raya pouted.
"I know that, but you're the princess of Heart. You have to be present in these events," Charanya reminded her.
Unfortunately, the shorter woman is completely correct. Raya has so many stupid responsibilities because she's a stupid princess. Plus, with the evident possibility of her getting sick, it's for the best if she stays out of the kitchen. Although, the flu outbreak did explain why Raya feels awful.
Wow, so Raya doesn’t even get to have her emotional support childhood friend in her time of need. Do the heavens hate her? Did she commit some heinous crime in her past life to deserve this?
"I'm afraid you're right, Ranya. Alright, go on. Don't put poison in the food of people you don't like," Raya instructed.
"Or bugs," Noya smirked.
"One time, Noya. Literally one time," Charanya grumbled.
"To be fair, it was a very memorable time," the taller Heart omega grinned.
"If you two binturis keep talking, poison and bugs will appear in your meals. Raya, just let Tien know where I am if you find her. She's probably already helping with the food, honestly, but just in case she isn't," Charanya told her.
"I will. Guess you two have to go save this entire festival. Good luck! Don't hurt yourselves!" Raya said as the two began to rush away.
"Right back at you!" Charanya yelled over her shoulder.
"Later Raya!" Noya waved.
It is so weird having a decent conversation with Noya. Growing up is just so weird.
Well. Looks like the only thing left to do is actually attend the festival. Raya grit her teeth as she made her way out of Heart's castle. As she walked the halls, she noticed several alphas perk ip with their heads swerving in Raya’s direction. The Heart woman tried to shrink herself as much as possible as she rushed to where she needed to meet Namaari.
Another tally to the list of reasons why Raya isn't totally loving the festival is because her scent blockers are running dangerously low.
Oh how Raya hates going without her scent completely covered. She doesn’t like how alphas suddenly become much more interested in her and she especially doesn’t like how a shift in her sense gives out her true emotions.
Raya is still wearing scent blockers to make it less obvious, of course, but it’s not enough to fully hide her scent. Not by a long shot. The Heart woman just wants the night to be over and it hasn’t even started.
Making her way through the crowd, Raya was surprised to find Namaari heading toward. She’s quite a ways away from where they were supposed to meet.
“Oh, I thought our rendezvous point was the fountain,” Raya said, mildly confused.
“It was. I could just smell your scent so I figured I’d walk to you,” Namaari told her.
Well now Raya’s embarrassed. She pursed her lips and avoided Namaari’s eyes.
“Makes sense. Been running low on scent blockers lately so I guess everyone’s just going to have to deal with my scent,” Raya said while trying to keep the tone light.
“It’s not a bad thing. Your scent smells nice,” Namaari shrugged.
Don’t freak out Raya. Don’t do it. That’s not an appropriate reaction for the situation. Oh for the love of all that’s good in this world, be normal.
“Thanks, so yours,” Raya managed to muster out.
Namaari then looked as red as Raya probably was. The omega’s heart was beating out of her chest and all Namaari did was compliment her scent. How is she going to survive a whole night of acting all lovey dovey with the Fang woman now?
"Oh, um, fair warning, I think I'm coming down with the common cold," Raya sheepishly admitted.
"That's fine, I've got the immunity of an ox. I could be surrounded by people dying of plague and not get sick. Besides, I think I'd rather contract whatever illness you have than endure matchmaking by myself," Namaari sighed.
Raya snorted as she continued walking with Namaari. Man, that woman really does not want to be set up.
“Princess Namaari! There you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” a grating voice exclaimed.
“Ah, Minh. It’s been a while,” the Fang alpha said while sounding like she had the urge to vomit.
Given the obvious distaste coming from Namaari, the girl approaching had to be the vicious omega socialite from Fang that Virana arranged. Namaari looked down at Raya’s face with an expression that screamed ‘save me’. If Raya wasn’t irrationally angry when someone was so blatantly interested in Namaari, she would have laughed.
Alright, time to be an insufferable admirer. Show time!
“Well hello there! I’m Princess Raya! Namaari said your name was Minh, right?” Raya asked in the fakest cheery voice possible.
Realizing Raya’s presence put an immediate damper on Minh’s attitude and scent. The other omega crossed her arms and eyes Raya up and down.
“That’s right. Being so…close to Princess Namaari, I’d have thought you would have been able to hear that,” Minh said with an edge in her tone.
It physically hurts the Heart woman that she can’t just cuss this girl out. Honestly, it will probably be ineffective anyways. She supposed this is the time to really start fawning over Namaari. Besides, Raya figures that she can use this opportunity to say her real thoughts that she doesn't have the guts to say out loud. It might be fun if Namaari gets flustered.
“I mean, can you really blame me? It’s very easy to get distracted when Namaari speaks,” Raya said in a low voice while gently stroking Namaari’s arm.
Raya decided to be a little extra bold and link their arms together. As it would turn out, Namaari is wearing scent blockers so smelling her mood shifts is out of the question. But from the pink tinging her cheeks, Raya would say her words and actions had the desired effect.
“I’m flattered, Raya. If such a beautiful woman like you can think so highly of me, I must be something,” Namaari hummed with a light smirk.
Fuck, now it’s Raya’s face that turns a whole new shade of pink. Looks like Namaari’s playing offense. Raya’s never been one to go down without a fight. The Heart princess’s internal schemes were cut short when Minh cleared her throat.
“We should probably take our seats. The chief was kind enough to place us at the same table,” Minh said while pointedly looking at Namaari.
“My mother does love organizing. Raya, you know where our table is, don’t you?” Namaari asked.
“Of course. It’s why I’m here after all. Wouldn’t want you to get lost, dep la,” Raya smirked.
Namaari rolled her eyes and discreetly jabbed her elbow at Raya’s side. The Heart woman fought the urge to laugh and lightly jabbed her right back.
“Princess Namaari is perfectly capable of finding a table,” Minh snapped defensively.
“Princess Raya’s right, I’m afraid. I can get hopelessly lost without a guiding hand. I’m grateful for Raya’s help,” Namaari rather dramatically declared.
If Namaari keeps this up Raya will genuinely not be able to contain her laughter. Who knew the princess of Fang was so damn dramatic?
The silence was rather awkward but the three of them made it to their designated table with zero issues. Minh very quickly took the seat one Namaari's right, causing said woman to grimace. Raya tried really hard not to laugh at Namaari's face and sat down on her left.
"Oh, where's Aulia? Is she with Charanya or something?" Namaari asked.
"Ah, no. She's with Ba. That man is so excited to tell people she's his granddaughter. Those two are obsessed with each other," Raya snorted.
The Heart woman caught Minh trying to get Namaari's attention. Well that just won't do.
"Hey, speaking of Aulia, I finally got her birth certificate finalized! So yes, she legally exists," Raya beamed.
Namaari shrugged and rested her chin in the palm of her right hand. Then the binturi gave Raya a smirk.
"I don't know, dep la. If I can't see the birth certificate, then I just don't know if you're telling the truth," Namaari grinned.
A spike of irritation coursed through Raya. Namaari has seen her damn baby every day since she's been in Heart!
"Do not make me smack you Namaari. Aulia is a real baby with a real birth certificate!" Raya snapped.
"Until I can verify that this alleged birth certificate is a valid legal document, Aulia just can't exist now can she?" Namaari smugly asked.
Raya gave Namaari a sarcastic smile and leaned in so close their noses were almost touching. Namaari's smug smirk slowly fell from her face the closer Raya got.
"You make it very hard to swoon over you, Namaari," Raya whispered.
"Oh, but you do it so well Raya. You've got a real talent," Namaari mumbled.
"Of course I do, I'm good at everything," Raya quietly giggled.
"Not everything. You're terrible at making that god awful jackfruit jerky," Namaari grinned.
"I hope I end up sneezing on your face," the Heart woman pouted.
With that, she finally pulled away just in time for the food to arrive. The Heart princess stuck her tongue out Namaari before taking a couple bites of her food.
Minh started speaking, but Raya just kind of tuned her out. She's not particularly interesting and her voice really irritates Raya's ears. Namaari once again jabbed her elbow into Raya's side. Shit, that's right, she has a job to do.
With much exaggeration, the Heart omega yawned and rested her head against Namaari's shoulder. She then tilted her head up to look at Namaari's face.
"You're really laying it on thick, dep la," Namaari grinned as she pulled Raya closer.
"I am nothing if not effective," the Heart woman smirked.
"I find it very on brand for you to do me a favor then proceed to make me work as much as possible for it," Namaari muttered.
"It's been a long day, you know. I've been so stressed out these past couple weeks with the baby and the festival. I'm just exhausted, I can't even muster the energy to pick up my own fork. Feed me, dep la," Raya said, while trying painfully hard not to burst into laughter.
Namaari's eyes widened at the demand, clearly not expecting it. She really should know by now that with Raya, she must expect the unexpected.
"That's a bit beneath Princess Namaari's station, don't you think?" Minh cut in with a harsh glare.
Oh this binturi has zero clue what Raya's capable of. The Heart woman now leaned in so close to Namaari that her lips grazed the Fang woman's ear.
"I wouldn't mind being beneath your station. Again," Raya whispered.
For an extra kick, Raya blew air into Namaari's ear. If Namaari gets to joke about their week long sex in a cave, then Raya can too.
Deciding she had done enough, she retreated back to her original position of resting her head on Namaari's shoulder.
Namaari was rendered speechless. Her face took on a whole new shade of red and she began hopelessly opening her mouth only to close it once more. It feels so good to win.
"So, Namaari, what do you say? Think you can lower your station? For me?" Raya asked while batting her eyes.
It's a pretty odd feeling so obviously flirting with the woman who Raya is keeping a life changing secret from. Oh, better keep the thoughts light right now, her scent blockers are not what they used to be.
"Of course, Princess Raya. I'd do anything to you," Namaari eventually responded.
Raya's brows furrowed at the phrase. That didn't seem quite right.
"Uh, don't you mean for me?" Raya asked.
"Sure, that too," Namaari purred.
The implications finally registered in her brain and which very quickly sent her into a coughing fit. Raya may or may not have done that to hide her blush. How does Raya even end up in these situations? Eh, it's probably because she's an idiot.
"Well get to it Undercut," Raya demanded once her blush died down.
"You'll make an excellent chief with how bossy you are," Namaari scoffed.
Despite her unnecessary attitude, Namaari did feed Raya a bite of dinner. She continued on like this for a little while until Raya felt full. Given the fact that Raya was evidently coming down with something, she had Namaari stop feeding when her plate was halfway done.
"You must really not be feeling it if you can't eat. Do you want to turn in early?" Namaari asked worriedly.
Raya pursed her lips in thought. She really doesn't think she's in an emotional state to be with Namaari alone right now, even if it's just to walk back to her room. On the other hand, she feels like actual hell.
"I can hang back for a bit longer, it's fine," Raya sighed.
"You're sure?" Namaari frowned.
"Yeah, I'm just a bit nauseous," Raya mumbled.
"Better hope she's not pregnant again with another bastard," Minh muttered under her breath.
At once, Raya's jaw dropped. Minh whispered so quietly that Raya's not even sure anyone else heard the remark. Huh. So the bitch called her daughter a bastard. There are so many feelings of rage inside her head that she can not choose which idea to express first.
Oh, they could smell it too. Minh must have realized she had been heard because she raised a cocky eyebrow as if to say 'what are you going to do about it'?
This is not the Druun times, Raya will get into serious trouble if she claws this girl's face off. Ultimately, the Heart princess didn't need to say anything. Mainly because Namaari beat her to the punch.
"What the hell did you just say?" Namaari hissed.
Raya peeked around Namaari's shoulder to get a look at her face. Sweet god if looks could kill Minh would be six feet under. Minh clearly did not expect the Fang princess to hear her comment, or at least care enough to respond, so she quickly tried to back pedal.
"What I meant to say was-" Minh started.
It was like her annoying voice unleashed all the bad stuff weighing down on Raya because her nausea suddenly hit so much worse. She knew she would throw up very soon.
The Heart princess hastily made it to her feet and sprinted a few feet away from the table. She thought she vaguely heard Namaari call after her, but Raya was too preoccupied to check. Then, she hid behind a tree and vomited her guts out.
Thankfully, she was done with that uncomfortable experience in only a couple of seconds. What Raya wasn't so thankful for is that the vomiting seemed to be the gate that unleashed all her feelings of illness.
Raya suddenly felt incredibly hot, her sore throat only got worse, and now she's pretty sure both of nostrils are clogged. It certainly doesn't help matters that her eyes began to feel incredibly heavy.
"Hey Raya, are you okay?" a voice asked.
It looked several blinks before the voice could be identified as Mali. Huh. Somehow, the Heart alpha doesn't look quite right.
"Have you always been so blurry? Or is it like, a new look you're trying out?" Raya asked.
"Oh, that's not a good sign. C'mon Raya, I'll get you to your room," Mali said while reaching a hand out to her.
The loud footsteps erupted from behind her. Raya looked back to see Namaari in all her undercut glory.
"Shit, are you okay? I knew I should have dragged you home when you said you weren't feeling well," Namaari sighed.
"M'fine," Raya mumbled.
"You're the worst liar ever," the Fang alpha sighed.
"It's fine, Princess Namaari, I can take her back to her room," Mali told her.
"Please, don't trouble yourself. I'm more than happy to take Raya back to her room. I was going to spend the night anyway. Wouldn't be the first time," Namaari snapped in a harsh tone that was very unlike her.
Malie seemed to be very irritated but Raya never did catch what she had to say. Her eyes were heavy, the day was too draining, and her stomach was now way too empty.
Raya's body could not take the strain of consciousness. So, with as much grace as Tuk Tuk trying to knit, Raya face planted on the ground and promptly passed out.
It was probably for the best.
******************************
Raya woke up to Charanya at her bedside, reading one of her old books. The scratchiness in her throat was damn near unbearable. Raya weakly flung her arm out to Charanya in an attempt to grab her attention.
Thankfully, her plan was effective. Charanya stopped reading and hastily stood next to Raya's bed.
"Hey sleepy head. You need anything?" Ranya asked quietly.
Raya lightly tapped her throat, their way of saying water. They made up the nonverbal code back when they were ten and one of them got sick. Charanya was always much better at playing nurse than Raya was.
Chranaya nodded and grabbed a cup by the nightstand.
"Here, the tea helps with a sore throat. It should still be warm. i've also got water right next to you in case you need it," the other woman assured her.
Once Charanya handed her the tea, Raya downed it in one gulp. By the spirits, she was so thirsty. At once, she could feel the tea soothe the burning in her throat. The immediate calming reaction was very appreciated.
"Where's um, our other family members?" Raya asked now that her throat feeling much better after the tea.
"Ma turned in early, Grandma's probably still up talking with Chief Virana, and Ba's with Aulia. They were all worried about it and wanted to stay, but I shooed them off. They knew I could handle it," Charanya explained.
Raya nodded in understanding. Now that Raya isn't blinded by thirst and discomfort, she's noticing Charanya looks pretty upset. Ah, so Raya's not the only one who had a miserable night.
"You okay over there?" Raya questioned despite already knowing the answer.
"It's been a shitty night," Charanya said after a beat of silence.
“That makes two of us. Would you like to start us off with your shitty night?” Raya asked.
“She thought I was fucking alpha,” Charanya simply stated.
“Uh, who did?” Raya asked, very confused.
“Tien. I’ve known her for two years and she thought I was an alpha literally until two minutes ago!” Charanya snapped.
Um. Wow.
Hell, it's no wonder Tien hasn't made a move at this point if she really thought Charanya was an alpha. A courtship with two alphas typically doesn’t end well. That situation also applies with having a relationship between two omegas. They’re simply too similar.
Plus, the scents. The scents are a big reason why those two pairings usually won’t work. When Charanya has her heats, the scent really aggravates Raya because of the fact that she’s a fellow omega. A lasting courtship isn’t necessarily impossible, but it’s pretty rare.
Tien has been pretty blatantly into Charanya for a long time now. Maybe the assumption that Charanya was an alpha is what really held Tien back from actually courting her?
“Wait, okay, tell me what happened. You know, calmly and rationally,” Raya insisted.
“There is so much to unpack here,” Charanya tiredly whined. “So Tien walked into the kitchens to help with food preparations. As I assumed, her and Noya started bitching at each other so I had to separate them. Noya made some offhand comment about how her younger self never thought she’d be getting bossed around by an omega, which is dumb because that’s how most courtships work. Next thing I know, Tien is saying that I'm an alpha!”
Raya blinked. Wow. Though she has to say, a lot of little things that kind of confused her made perfect sense. That knothead comment Namaari made at Charanya awhile back makes a lot more sense given the fact that knothead is an exclusive alpha insult for obvious reasons.
"So then I'm like 'what kind of drugs have you been taking because I've been an omega since birth' and she was just stunned into silence. It took several minutes for her to use her damn vocal cords again. Afterwards it was just, I don't know, weird. We still talked but it seemed like her head was somewhere else. How is this even real life?" Charanya groaned.
"I mean shit, Ranya, even I don't know what to say," raya sighed.
Seriously, what could she say? Sorry that the girl you were in love with was under the impression you two would never work out because she thought you were an alpha?
"Me neither. I just wish I knew why she got so weird. I mean, is it because she thinks I'm like, beneath her now that she knows I'm an omega?" Charanya frowned.
"I honestly don't think that's the case. I may not love the girl, and she may not love me, but she doesn't really seem to look down on omegas solely because of the fact that they're omegas. You're really just going to have to talk to her when she's not so off," Raya shrugged.
"When did you become rational?" Charanya frowned.
"I'm sick off my ass right now, I don't have much of a choice," Raya shrugged.
The shorter Heart woman smirked at that before leaning back against her chair. Then she let out a long, drawn out sigh.
"Well, that really concludes my awesome thrilling night. What about yours?" Charanya asked.
"Other than me vomiting and passing out, the only thing really worth mentioning is that the girl Virana set up with namaari called my daughter a bastard. That was a pretty fun way to end my night," Raya sighed.
"Where the fuck is she?" Charanya bluntly asked.
"I am not telling you that information," Raya told her.
To be fair, it's not like she actually knows where Minh is anyways.
"Who the fuck does she think she is, calling my god daughter a bastard? Oh I will tear the binturi apart!" Charanya scowled.
"No you won't. Mainly because I'm not telling you who said it," Raya snorted.
"Are you serious? You're just going to let that freak get away with it?" Charanya glared.
"I mean, to be fair, Namaari very quickly stepped in. She got all pissed off on my behalf. But that was also the part when I needed to vomit so I kind of missed the rest of the conversation. She definitely heard it from Namaari, though," Raya shrugged.
Charanya huffed and crossed her arms. She pursed her lips before giving Raya a harsh glare.
"Please don't tell me things that are going to make me like Namaari, my night is bad enough as it is," the younger woman pouted.
Raya laughed at the comment before it quickly devolved into coughs. Charanaya could only wait until the hacking was done before offering some water.
"Yeah, I'm going to bed. I can not stand this," Raya sighed.
"I have to say, I'm feeling pretty beat. And hey, check it out, they gave me a cot so that I could sleep here with minimal risk of contracting your disease," Charanya beamed.
She pointed to said cot that Raya hadn't noticed until now. It was tiny, but it could certainly fit Charanya. The mat was a decent size so it shouldn't be too uncomfortable.
"You know, this kind of reminds me of when we were kids and we begged our parents for a sleepover," Raya smiled.
"Yeah. Feels like a lifetime ago huh?" Charanya asked.
"Totally," Raya agreed.
The two sat in silence, reminiscing on a past so far away it was barely even remembered. Details were fuzzy, but the feeling of warmth and happiness was ingrained in Raya's mind.
Ah, the simpler days. How she yearns for them.
"Wake me if you need anything, Raya. Love you, sleep well," Charanya yawned.
"M'kay. I love you too, goodnight," Raya mumbled.
A moment of silence passed over them. Naturally, Raya had to break it.
"Can you get me cookies?" Raya asked.
"Are you fucking with me right now?" Charanya asked with a scowl.
"PLease?" Raya begged.
".......I hate you."
"I love you too!"
"Whatever. Whore."
