CHAPTER FIVE #2
Ryu hadn’t expected the result of his objections to be any different.
He’d had this same conversation with his parents a dozen times over the past two years, and each time the answer had been the same.
He tried to console himself with the idea that he only had a week and a half to go until he could find out the answer to the burning question…
until he remembered that that time would likely now include a dozen media outlets spouting nonsense about his impending marriage to Princess Jasmine of Iderheil.
“Now, back to the Festival of the Goddess,” his mother said, brushing her perfectly straight black hair over her shoulder.
Ryu knew it only looked that way because she got one of the maids to spend twenty minutes straightening it for her every morning.
Naturally, it had a slight wave that he privately thought was far prettier than this rigid attempt at perfection.
“The Celestial Dragons will be performing the Dance of Water and Light at midday,” Elise said, picking up her itinerary where she’d left off.
The Celestial Dragons were the most famous dance troupe in Galandeen, and it was entirely expected that they’d be performing at least one of the dances throughout the day.
“Then there’ll be lunch in the palace gardens.
We’ve got special guests coming from Iderheil and Biermarg, and there are even two ladies coming from Arctesia.
They’re the daughters of two of the President’s advisors, and I would like you, Ryu, to make them feel welcome.
” She fixed him with a sugary-sweet smile.
He smiled back, making it deliberately insincere, as his entrée plate was taken away.
“Then, of course, the wedding ceremony will be held back at the temple at three o’clock.
” The large, joint wedding was one of the highlights of the day, three or four couples chosen to marry in the Temple of Selene on the day of the Festival.
It was widely believed that such couples would be blessed throughout their marriage with peace, harmony, and plenty of children filling their lives.
“First up, we’ve got Viscount Eguchi’s youngest son marrying Amaya El.
That was a bit of a drama, when they found out his soulmate was a commoner,” Elise informed them, her eyes wide.
“But thankfully, they decided to trust the Goddess’s wisdom in the end.
Then next on the list is the Second Duke of Pardeeg, marrying Sir Kazake’s daughter, Irian. ”
“Oh, they decided to go ahead with that, did they?” Sou asked. “I thought his parents were barring the marriage because his soulmate isn’t nobility.”
“It’s not just that she’s not nobility, though being the daughter of a knight is one step above a commoner,” Elise said.
“She’s also a beta,” she added, with theatrical distress, as if it was the most awful discovery in the world.
“Of course, with modern fertility treatments, it’s entirely possible that she could end up having children some day, but they initially felt that their alpha son deserved an omega mate to continue the family line.
I believe, in the end, they agreed simply because the Duke was quite taken with the young woman and wouldn’t even consider choosing someone else. ”
“This is all rather ironic, isn’t it?” Ryu said, knowing he was likely to get his ear chewed off again.
“The nobility prattles on about the divine wisdom of the Goddess and the holy duty to marry one’s soulmate, until someone realises that the Goddess has paired them up with a commoner, and then suddenly all bets are off and everyone’s scrambling to find someone more suitable.
” Heaven knows what would happen if his own soulmate ended up being a commoner.
“There are still those who believe in the sovereignty of the Goddess,” his mother replied.
“And as you know, only true soulmates are permitted to marry in the Temple. Now, I had hoped that Lord Gee would allow his alpha son to marry Duke Kirian’s omega son,” she went on, as if the interruption had never happened.
“But he’s decided that if the marriage does go ahead, they’ll have a private ceremony.
Despite the recent advances in omega rights, there are unfortunately still those who believe marriage to an omega male is a slight on their family name.
So instead, we’ll be having Chie Harada join the ceremony.
She works in the palace kitchens, and she’ll be marrying her soulmate, Dai Isa.
He’s the son of a wealthy businessman from Green Bay. ”
“That’s rather a lot of commoners to be participating,” Sou said.
“The nobles prefer to see a few more of their own in the ceremony.” Again with the irony.
Ninety-nine per cent of the Galandanish population were commoners, but there was no consideration as to how they might feel if not a single one of their own class was included.
His mother shrugged helplessly. “Is it our fault if the Goddess has chosen common soulmates for the eligible nobles this year? I’ve done my best to chose suitable couples; dignified, respectful folk with no skeletons in their closets.”
Sou scowled, as the butler returned with the evening’s main course. “I miss the days when we could count on three or four marriages between noble alphas and their perfectly suitable omega mates.”
A tense silence met the declaration, and Ryu glanced sideways to find his mother glaring daggers at his father.
“Not that an omega mate is everything,” Sou amended hastily. “Betas have to marry as well, I suppose.”
His mother rolled her eyes, but then forced a smile as the next plate was set before her.
Ryu looked down, dismayed to find that for this course, the chef had prepared a traditional Arctesian dish – beef heart with roast vegetables, the plate almost drowning in gravy.
Selene help him, but couldn’t they just have the traditional Galandanish rice and grilled fish one day?
“Once the wedding’s over,” his mother went on, “we’re back at the palace again, for dinner and the garden ball.
” Thankfully, the palace was only a short, ten minute drive from the temple, and a fleet of shuttle buses would be on hand to ferry the guests back and forth.
It was a common occurrence, with plenty of royal ceremonies including some sort of blessing from the temple priestesses, and all of the nobles were accustomed to the minor inconvenience of switching locations.
“Perhaps, during the ball,” Ryu’s mother said to him, that saccharine smile back again, “you could dance with a few of the young nobles and see if anyone catches your fancy.”
“Oh, Goddess, not again,” Ryu groaned, covering his face with his hand.
Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse.
“Every time we have a ceremony, or a festival, or a damn garden party, you make me go and dance with a bunch of completely dull twits in ridiculous gowns.” Yep, another lecture was right on the cards for this evening, as Ryu noted his father’s expression turn a shade or two darker.
But he’d come this far, so he might as well finish the complaint.
“All the noble omegas just flit about like they’re completely helpless.
They want you to fetch a drink for them, they want to move to the shade because it’s too hot, they want to move to a sunny spot because it’s too cold, they want you to hold their hand, so they don’t trip over their own two damn feet!
It’s a wonder any of them are capable of getting themselves dressed in the morning! ”
“Ryu, that is not an appropriate tone to use at the dining table,” his father reprimanded him, right on cue. “I know we’re having a private dinner this evening, but that is no excuse to forget your manners.”
Ryu clenched his jaw, not willing to dig the hole any deeper.
“I’m sorry,” he apologised, not quite able to look the king in the eye.
“But I genuinely don’t understand why you want me to spend so much time looking for a partner that I actually like when the chances of that person being my soulmate are slim to none. ”
Elise let out a melodic laugh. “Oh, Ryu, all I’m trying to do is to persuade you to have a little fun!
Most alphas actually enjoy doing favours for omegas.
Show a bit of leadership and you might be surprised who sits up and pays attention.
Show off a bit of muscle. Well, uh… no, maybe that’s not really your thing,” she corrected herself hastily.
“But nonetheless, you might find doing a little bit of flirting enjoyable anyway.”
Goddess above, had his own mother just decided he wasn’t quite up to scratch as an alpha? What the hell did he have to do, start bench-pressing omegas and bellowing orders from the rooftops just to prove he had both the strength and attitude of an alpha?
“Besides which, this is not about finding your perfect match,” she continued, sweeping past her own insulting denouncement.
“As you’ve said before, if we wanted to do that, we would just register your soul mark and be done with it.
This is about learning who you are. Finding out what you like in a partner.
If you just give it a decent go for once, I honestly think you’ll find it’s not so difficult. ”
“Yes, mother,” Ryu said, with an absolute lack of enthusiasm. “What a splendid idea.”