Chapter 80 Betrothal

Everyone was shocked by the emperor's unexpected announcement. No one had expected that the emperor would reinstate to Rocky the title of 'Prince'. Deservedly, he had been stripped of the title for touching the Holy Dragon Bead without permission.

They had not expected that the emperor would have such a huge change of heart towards Rocky.

More than everyone else, Alston was unhappy with the emperor's decision. Like his siblings, he had never regarded Rocky as their brother. Though were step-brothers, born of the same father, they all looked down on Rocky, because his mother was of humble birth. To them, he was just a bastard. So when Rocky was stripped of his title two months ago, they were all over the top with glee at his loss.

But they had never expected that their father would entitle Rocky as a prince again. If he did so, Rocky would become the youngest prince and the shame of the royals again. By all means, they would not agree with their father's decision to number that son of a peasant woman with them. However, none of them would dare say that to the emperor. Once their father had made a decision, they would have no other choice but to abide by his will.

Even so, they still looked at Rocky with contempt. They did not care that Rocky had showed a splendid performance at the Dragon Birth Festival and he was hailed as the ultimate prodigy of the Holy Dragon Empire. They still hated on him.

Only Alston, the next emperor of the Holy Dragon Empire, one of them question him — and that, on very rare occasions would.

"Father, I don't understand why you do this." He would not so readily agree to Rocky's admission back into royalty. If anything, Rocky was a direct threat to Alston's ascent to power.

"I stripped Basil because he touched the Holy Dragon Bead without permission. But what he had done at the Dragon Birth Festival can make up for his fault. But

tead, he looked around, as if he was reading what the people were thinking. Then he said, "I also have something else to announce. I made a decision about this yesterday."

Everyone looked at the emperor again, with eager anticipation. They wondered what else the emperor had up his sleeve, right after the unexpected reinstatement of Rocky. They hoped his second announcement would not be as shocking as the first one.

"Since Basil is not at a small boy anymore, it's time for him to have a wife, so I plan to betroth him a girl and give him a part of his inheritance," the emperor announced that immediately.

"A wife?" Lena's face grew gloomy as she heard what the emperor said. She looked at Rocky, dejected.

Rocky was also surprised. He did not expect that his 'dad' was going to betroth a girl to him and give him a part of his estate. It was good to be the prince again.

Everyone in the hall was dumbfounded. Betrothals decided by the emperor were common in the royals, but giving a fief was a serious thing. So far, except Alston, none of the sons of the emperor had their own fief.

The other princes all felt discontented when they heard what the emperor said. None of them would have expected that Rocky would get an inheritance ahead of them.