Help! Five Beast Alphas Want To Breed Me!!(BL)-Chapter 242: Be A King!

Rhydian;

I march out of the throne room and follow after my father with the determination to get to the bottom of things.

He’s already halfway down the corridor, with his steps uneven and slow. The great King Wilhelm of BeastHeaven... the man who used to stride like he owned the very wind... now walks like there are invisible anchors around his ankles.

I clench my jaw as I watch him.

I hate seeing him like this. Where the father I know!?

The iron-clad ruler who blossomed and gleamed in everything he did!?

The cowardly part of me is begging me to leave him. To let him rot in his wine-soaked misery and pretend I can not see him falling apart like a dying leaf fallen from its once bountiful home.

He may not be perfect... but he’s still my father. I care about him. More than I may care to admit, damn it! Gravemaw is collapsing.

We’re all crumbling. I need to snap him out of this.

"Father!" I call after him as I start marching towards him, but he doesn’t turn.

His shoulders only stiffen a little as he pauses like he wished I wouldn’t follow.

I walk faster until I’m beside him, and I stare at his exhausted face.

"Father," I call again to let him know that although he draws the line on this a hundred times, I will cross it a hundred and fifty times.

His jaw twitches as he lets out a breath.

"Rhydian. I asked to be alone."

"And I ignored it." I rely, and his head turns sharply, with his sunken eyes flashing with irritation.

However... beneath it, I see something worse. Something worn. Something shattered.

"What do you want?" he mutters, and I raise a brow.

"What do I want?" I repeat with my voice rising in disbelief. The audacity of this man!

"What I want, Father, is a king. What I want is a man who can stand on his two feet and lead his kingdom instead of drowning in alcohol and silence." I rage at him, and his expression shatters.

Like his soul is crying out for me to save him from drowning... but to also just... let him drown.

For years, he taught us sternness. Self-control. A leader’s discipline... for years, he taught us that our personal needs come second to those of the kingdom.

HE taught us that. All of us! And now... Now he can’t even hold my gaze, talk more of facing his people.

He exhales, low and tired as he tries to turn away from me.

"Rhydian... I don’t have the strength for this."

"Then find it," I snap, and his eyes widen slightly... like he wasn’t expecting me to strike back.

We reach a pillar-lined balcony that gives a distant view of Gravemaw’s market square. Fires still burn in the distance, a sign that a few people have decided to work through the night instead of sleeping.

The people need reassurance. Guidance. Anything. But instead, they have a ghost on the throne!

Both King and Queen are fighting personal battles and have... forsaken them.

"Speak to me!" I demand, and Father slumps heavily against the stone railing of the balcony and takes another drink. His hands shake as he drinks, and as he stares down at the ground below, a certain fear grips my heart.

He’s not going to jump... Is he!? Why the hell does he look so depressed!?

So miserable??

I swallow the anger boiling in my throat and try again.

"Koda is barely holding on," I repeat, softer this time. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"He has developed panic attacks, and they are getting worse. He’s restless. He’s scared. Yet he refuses to come near you... Why?" I ask, and of course, I get no response.

"Queen Cassia won’t leave her chambers. Won’t speak to the people. Won’t face Gravemaw." I continue, and still... nothing.

"And you..." My voice cracks now, and I hate it. "You’ve abandoned us," I add as my pain bleeds into my voice.

"Father, please! I don’t know what I’m doing. I... I have no idea! Have you forgotten? You told me. You said if I ever needed anything, I should come to you. Well, here I am now. Your son is begging you, Father. Fix this mess! We’re all crumbling. If our... if our enemies come back now, they will easily wipe us all out." I rant, and his fingers curl tighter around the bottle.

"You used to say a king never hides. That a leader doesn’t run from the truth. That we must face storms head-on." I push harder with my voice trembling with a mixture of hurt and fury.

"So, where is that man? Where is the father who raised us to be more than this!?" I demand, and his breathing grows uneven.

"You boys were trained to lead," he says again, staring into the distance, and it takes everything in me not to connect nu fist to that mouth of his!!

"You and Koda... Zephan, Zethar... Lioran... all of you. This is your future. The weight was always meant to fall on your shoulders." He adds, and my jaw drops.

"The weight was... And you’re proud of that!?" I stand as I grab his arm and yank him hard so he faces me.

"You’re proud that your son is drowning while you stand here clutching a bottle!? You’re proud that we’re suffering for your mistake!? Is that what you think a Father is!? Fail your children in more ways than one and sit back while they struggle to recover!? That’s why you call parenting!?" I scream, and he closes his eyes, as if the world is too loud.

"Gravemaw is wounded, Father. Bleeding from something you clearly know about." I add before taking a breath as my chest suddenly feels too tight.

"Instead of helping, you’re just going to avoid the problem? You’re going to abandon Koda!? He needs you! Your sons need you!" I scold, and he sighs as he opens his eyes.