Chapter 13

“It would be anyone’s greatest honor to marry you, my princess, and help strengthen the kingdom, especially in these turbulent times, but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline this proposal. I’m not the man for the job and...” He raised a hand to still his mother’s squalling, “And, well, we both seem to hold very different opinions regarding marriage.”

The hush that followed Jun’s reply was deafening. Jun looked straight ahead, preferring to watch his mother’s display of anger than...he didn’t even know how Noelle would react. But from the blank silence beside him, maybe she took it well. 

To say Sakura flared up would be an understatement. She seemed to swell with anger as she spat, “What are you saying?! Rejecting a marriage proposal from the grand emperor himself?!” She looked to her husband, “What is this?’

Jun braced himself for his father’s outburst but breathed a bit better when Aizen retorted calmly, “This is the marriage I was planning for our son against h