Venerable Brutus Wodin did not accomplish his objective when he managed to gain an audience with Commander Casella Ingvar.
He did not let this defeat affect his composure. So what if a woman rejected his proposition? There were thousands of eligible women in the Larkinson Clan. He had many chances to find a suitable life partner and succeed in his plot to foil his mother from binding him to another Hexer lady.
"Don't worry, Brutus. Casella is an expert pilot and a legion commander. It is normal for her to hold different standards." Gloriana soothed him when he called her after his failed meeting. "You are still an attractive man that women would be lucky to have in their lives. You are strong, nice, well-mannered, well-educated and well-bred. Not only that, you are related to me and by extension the patriarch of the Larkinson Clan! If women can overcome their prejudice against people raised in the Hegemony, they will surely recognize the value of becoming your marriage partner."
