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Kentarou swung her sword just a little bit harder when she heard the trumpeter at the castle gate. That was likely her betrothed, arriving to survey her rightful claim to do with whatever he wishes.
That thought made her skin itch all over.
From the edge of the tiltyard, the swordmaster Sir Hajime waved to her. “Milady, your father is looking for you.”
“I’m sure he is,” she grumbled before lopping the head off a wooden sparring dummy. “Tell him I died.”
Hajime snorted. “If you don’t go, you just might.”
Kentarou sheathed her sword and wiped her sweaty hands on her leather breeches. Damn him for being too hard to say no to. “I know, I know, I’m going.”
As she walked by, Hajime quirked a brow. “Aren’t you going to change?”
“For some strange man who wants to rule my kingdom? I think not.” With that, she stomped back into the castle, not bothering to wash the streaks of kohl out of her hair.
In the throne room, the minute the king laid eyes on her, he groaned and buried his face in his hands. “Ken, you’re going to give me a stroke.”
Kentarou bit back a snide comment, not wanting to prolong this obnoxious situation any more than necessary. Meet her husband to be, try not to separate his head from his shoulders, and go back to business as usual.
The doors to the great room creaked open, and Kentarou afforded little more than a cursory glance when Lord Shigeru was announced. A pretty face in pretty clothes, the man was probably ugly where it counted.
When he knelt at the foot of the throne to pay homage to the king, Kentarou rolled her eyes and sauntered off with a wave to get back to doing literally anything else but this.
She certainly didn’t expect to hear someone running up behind her and whip her around. Hand already on the hilt of her sword, her eyes widened when she saw Shigeru’s delicate features twisted in irritation. “Oh no you don’t.”
“Touch me again and I’ll kill you.” She wrenched her arm away and drew herself to her full height. She was at least a hand shorter than Shigeru, but what she lacked in stature she could more than make up for in attitude.
Shigeru narrowed his eyes. “You think this is easy for either of us? I was told when I was barely old enough to see over a table that I would have to marry some tiresome woman I don’t even know, let alone like. Don’t make this worse than it needs to be.”
“I —” Kentarou averted her eyes when she felt her heart pound in her chest.
No one had ever talked like that to her in her life, but this jewel encrusted dandy was. The strange part was, she actually liked it.
“Fine.” She spun on her heel and headed back toward the throne room. “Are you coming to this stupid thing or not?”
She could have sworn she coaxed a smile from him. “After you.”