The general watched his daughter head into her room. He had raised her since she was a child, so he could tell she hated her situation.
'This stupid child will soon try to do something foolish. I should keep an eye on her for the time being.'
The general opened the door to his son's room and walked inside. Seeing Meria awake filled the general with relief.
"Father, how is the situation outside? I heard something ridiculous from Fiona regarding the emperor-"
"Was it about that royal proposal? I know what you are going to say. But unfortunately, it is true. The emperor did propose to you, and he even sent an official document to ask for your hand."
Meria had just picked up his glass and began to drink water when he choked at the water. The glass fell, splashing water across Meria's lap. But he was immune to it. His shock made him numb to it all.
"That was not a joke? Father, tell me you rejected this ridiculous proposal. This might be a royal proposal, but our emperor is still 12. I cannot-"
"Is it because he is the emperor? Or because he's Kerin's brother? I know you, Meria, and you are not usually this emotional. Calm down for now and take a deep breath."
Meria tried to follow his father's lead, but it was difficult to calm down. The ridiculousness of this situation was still not lost on him.
Once he was calm enough, his father decided to unpack the baggage he was carrying.
"I am so sorry, Meria. This all happened because I could not go against my wife's decisions. From your engagement to that bastard to your framing, I was not able to stop any of it. Thankfully, the emperor saved your life."
The general broke down. His face was still brought and held high, but there was a vulnerability in his eyes now. He also looked tired, having spent the whole day assuring various fractions that nothing was wrong.
His biggest concern had been Meria and his reaction. And the general was not disappointed by his eldest son.
"I understand that he is the emperor, but still! I am a beta, and the emperor is just 12 years old currently. How will it all work out?"
The general looked Meria in the eye before he made up his mind.
If there was a time to tell Meria the truth about the emperor's situation, it was now. But somehow, the general could not bring himself to utter these words.
"This…there is nothing we can do about this situation, Merial. The emperor might be 12 years old, but still the emperor. We are in no position to deny his request. Especially after he pardoned all your sins while declaring you the next empress."
Meria had a vague recollection of that happening. But remembering that scene caused his body to shudder in anticipation; it was looking for an alpha that no longer existed.
And now it was projecting all his desires on an innocent kid.
'Did my scent somehow leak and force Kerin's brother to recognise me as an omega? Surely not! Father would not have allowed such a thing to happen.'
"Anyway, all we can do is agree with this proposal. We will have to wait for the council to make the final decision. The emperor assured us that the council would not be a problem, but appointing the empress to get them all in agreement is necessary."
Yeah, that was something that needed to happen. Hopefully, those elders would have a better sense than to allow their 12-year-old emperor to be wedded to an adult beta general.
"Father, this is so doomed. This relationship will not last more than a week."
Meria complained, but the general said that it would be the case. After all, their emperor was a stubborn one. And he would likely not let his omega go after finally having him close.
"Maybe this relationship is doomed to end in a week. But look at the brighter side - you are marrying your ex-fiancé's boss. You can take your revenge against everyone who framed you."
"I just hope you have a little mercy when the time comes."
......
"W-What is this? E-Emperor Kai, I never knew you were such a trickster. But I am afraid that this joke of yours has gone too far this time. Secretary Morris, you should have stopped the emperor before he thought of this joke."
Grand Minister Ferin's hand shook while looking at the document. He was not the only one who had a problem with this order.
All the other ministers with omega kids around the emperor's age were suddenly enraged at the letter they read.
"I am not joking with you all, minister. And I am not asking for your permission on this topic either. I am informing you all that I will marry General Meria next week. This is final, and nothing you say will change my decision."
The emperor sounded firm, but the council could not help but see this as a childish whim of his.
Young teenage alphas were often rebellious and tense. They did not like to be a challenger and did not like when others told them what to do.
'Ah, the emperor is likely trying to experiment. Having an older partner is not a bad idea, but General Meria is…a beta and a former emperor's friend. He is not the most eligible partner to have.'
Most ministers were biased but realised that the emperor would not listen to them. They kept their mouths quiet.
But Grand Minister Ferin refused to stay quiet. This message was a mistake, and he needed to stop it.
"I disagree with this decision and will not sign the document. We need an omega to be our empress. Not only will we not get a royal successor out of this marriage otherwise, but the gods will never accept a beta as our majesty's partner."
Grand Minister Ferin needed to discourage this marriage as much as possible. For the sake of his granddaughter, he needed to realise he was making a mistake.
His words caused the emperor's mood to worsen, but the older man did not care. He continued to speak whatever was on his mind.