Page 2

She trembled beneath his fiery gaze. “Papa, please let me explain.”

With nostrils flaring, he crossed his arms. “Fine, daughter. I’d certainly like to hear what explanation you have to give.”

“I don’t want to marry General Zahn. I don’t love him and he doesn’t love me. Besides that, he’s barely said more than two words to me in that sham of a courtship of his. You promised I could choose my own mate, but then you foist him off on me and I’m supposed to be happy about it? I don’t think so. You went back on your word to me.”

The Emperor lifted one blond brow, and a muscle twitched in his jaw. “I went back on my promise?” he asked in a voice of dead calm.

She was in for it now. But if her father could be stubborn, then so could she.

London raised her chin defiantly. “Yes. You have. You promised me, I’d be able to choose my own partner.”

“Within reason. I gave you the privilege in choosing your own husband when it was my right to do so, but you’ve abused that privilege. You are a princess, and every eligible man in the kingdom who has asked for your hand was turned down. You cannot marry some commoner.”

“What if I want to marry a commoner?”

The Emperor shook his head. “You speak nonsense, child. You have to marry someone of noble lineage.”

“Then I won’t get married!” London countered.

“Watch your tone with me, London. It is your duty to make a good alliance, and I won’t have you shame us the way you did out there. You will go back out to the hall and apologize to our guests, and then to Zahn. I think he’s been very patient with you considering your latest antics.”

“And that’s all you care about isn’t it?”

Green eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

London placed her hand over her heart, as anger welled within her. “All you care about is how things will look, not about my feelings.”

“London!” the Queen gasped in apparent outrage as she took a step forward.

Holding her mother back with one muscled arm, the Emperor shook his head. “That’s not worthy of a response. Now come before I really lose my temper.”

London had to crane her neck to meet her father’s eyes. There were times like these when she wished she weren’t so petite. Placing hands on hips, she shook her head. “I will not go.”

“You will go, even if I have to drag you out there myself. We’ll talk about your disobedience later. Will you come under your own volition, or shall I carry you?”

London backed away, knowing her father didn’t make empty threats. She’d never seen him this angry before or at least not at her. Her younger brothers, who were known pranksters, had sometimes been on the end of their father’s tongue lashings but not her. She’d never defied her parents in anything, but in this she had to stay firm. This was the rest of her life they spoke of.

“Papa, please see reason.”

“I’ve seen reason for two years. Now you’ll do as I say.”

“Just like my mother does? Do you plan on bullying me into submission as you do her? I don’t want to be a glorified concubine for the rest of my life like her.”

The words were barely out of her mouth when she felt the sharp sting of his palm. London’s hand flew to her injured cheek, and her jaw dropped not so much from pain, but more from surprise. Her father had never laid a hand on her before, and she supposed she deserved it for speaking so disrespectfully about her mother, but it was still unexpected.

From wide-eyed expression on the Emperor’s face, it seemed like he was just as shocked. He stared at his hand as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just used it for. A fat tear escaped London’s eye, but she closed her lips tightly to hold back the cry.

Her father clenched and unclenched his fists before turning to leave. London walked over to her bed and sat down heavily. She shouldn’t have spoken to him like that. He wasn’t a tyrant, but she’d been so mad that her tongue got ahead of her thoughts.

“I know you’re upset, baby but what you said was out of line,” her mother’s voice cut through London’s depressed musings.

“I know. I’ll go apologize.”

“As you should, but not now. Give him a chance to cool off first. I don’t condone him hitting you and I’ll see that he also apologizes but you need to understand he didn’t hit you because of the stunt you pulled in the banquet hall. He did it because of what you said about me. Your father is very protective of me and he won’t allow disrespect from anyone about his Queen, even you.”

London rubbed her check. Truthfully it didn’t hurt that much. Her father probably held back and maybe even tried to stop himself before he did it but it was too late. She knew how strong he was and had he used his full strength she probably would have been knocked unconscious. “I realize that now. I’m sorry Mom, I was just so angry.”

“I know baby, and I accept your apology. We all say and do things in the heat of the moment that we shouldn’t. But I’m very disappointed in you, London.”