The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 15

The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

CH15

Morgan

Worry clawed at me. "Isn't it pretty usual for people to leave instructions for their successors?"

He nodded. "In the case of the queen, your instructions are in two parts. One is the journals, but the part you are

looking for is held in the Trial itself."

| scowled at him. "I'm just supposed to know because I didn't die?"

His lips twitched. "Because you were chosen by the heavens and blessed by the Phoenix."

| cocked an eyebrow. "Mystic words that mean nothing toother than seeming important."

He tapped a journal. "Perhaps reading will educate you, then."

| met his gaze. "How can you be so sure?"

He sat on the edge of the desk and looked out the window with a wistfulness in his eyes.

"Because | knew my mother, and she toldmany stories about how she cto settle in her power as

queen."

| looked down at the journals. "Will you tellabout her?".

"What do you want to know?"

| considered it, trailing my fingers over the cover of the journal in front of me.

"Was she happy with your father?"

"She said she was."

"You didn't believe her?"

her

"| believe that happiness in tion was complicated," he said. "She stirred a lot of

controversy."

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| looked up at him. "By having the king's child?"

He smirked. "You've been talking to Maya."

"She's... my handmaiden or whatever."

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"You could not ask for someone more loyal."

"I've been thinking about it... more and more. Is Maya... related to you in sway?"

He smirked. "You have sharp instincts. Technically, she is my...

cousin."

"Technically?" | blinked. "And why isn't she a lady instead of a handmaiden?"

"Her choice," he said. "Her mother and mine were sisters."

1 hummed. "I'd been banking on her being your father's child."

He chuckled. "You'll meet them soon enough, other than Keiji.

"What's his deal? First, he's hitting on me, then he's insulting me." | glanced over at him, holding back the words

that | wanted to say.

"You think such behaviors run in the family." He sounded amused. "To be fair, you are not wrong."

"Is there a way | can keep you out of my head?"

"Why would | tell you?" He smirked.. "And it's the least of your worries."

"Can others read my mind?"

"My father might have been able to once upon a time, but not since his scales lost their

darkness."

| shook my head. "That have something to do with his grief?"

He nodded. "You asked about Keiji. He is the son of my father's first consort. He is younger thanand resentful

ofbeing chosen as the next heir. | am sure that Maya told you that it's rare for the queen to birth a child."

"Yes."

- nower:

"It's due to the risk to

her health. Having a dragon child is a hard undertaking." Tsuneo paused. "Her handmaiden was meant to be

ensuring she was taking the potions necessary to keep her from becoming pregnant, but she was bribed by a

concubine and later dismissed. My father says that my mother didn't show a moment of fear until the day of my

birth, My birth destroyed the whole birthing chamber, but she survived it."

| shuddered at the thought. "I don't think | want to know what would cause the destruction of a room during

birth, but glad to hear | won't be expected to... produce an heir."

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He went still.

you have no desire for children."

www

| sat back, wondering what answer to give him. | hadn't ever thought about it. | was a woman and Their to the

family. It was expected that either I'd have a child to succeedor choose someone to do so, and if | married,

he would essentially be head of the family. | remember telling my father that I'd pass the successorship to Hiro

when | wanted to retire.

"...you never had a desire to marry either?"

| scowled at him. "Get out of my head."

"I cannot."

| shook my head. "It hardly matters now, husband.

His eyes were

A soft grunt escaped him. | looked up, startled by the sound. blazing with desire. His hands shook, suspended in

the air between us as if he wanted to touch me. Did he? He licked his lips and stood.

"I'm going to bathe."

He got up and left without another world. | watched a shield of red and gold light go up over the door and

hummed. | guessed that was his privacy spell. | sat back and started to read, trying not to think about that look

in his eyes. All the information on the veil turned out to be mostly historical accounts and notes about the

changes. There were a few mentions of when a queen had closed the veil, but not how. It was starting to feel like

a gof wait and see, which meant a lot more trips forthrough the veil.

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Suddenly, Tsuneo cleared his throat, snapping my attention to him. He was still wet from his bath. His hair was

wavy and clinging to his neck. Heat pooled in my gut as | took him in. His robe was slightly open, revealing a lot

of the scales on his chest and the hard planes of his body.

"I believe he'll be back soon, and you will likely leave soon after. Before you go, | have something for you."

| blinked, and he crossed the room to a cabinet. He opened it.

"First, take your satchel of gold and return it to your family. You will need it when you open the

veil."

My heart fluttered. The implied belief shook me. My face heated. He stilled for a moment. | wished I could see his

face.

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"Does your family still deal in clothing?"

"Yes,"

"Do you have a supplier you use? A merchant?"

"No..." I said. "Well, not an exclusive one."

Now that he had mentioned it, | wondered if Goro had paid the merchant bills before taking all

the cash.

He closed the caband carried a small journal to me. He set it in front of me.

"This is for you. It's a list of merchants and businesses associated with the imperial family that were still running

when the veil closed. If any of them are still in operation, they will support you." He'set a satchel on top of it.

"This is what | have left of the human currency and the information for a bank operated by the imperial family.

Take the money you need to get your family's business on its feet." My jaw dropped. "Wait a second. | can't take-

"Wife." My jaw clicked closed. The word strucklike lightning. His eyes were warm as he looked. at me. "Your

family may be snakes, but from the moment you walked through that gateway, you becmy family. Your

family becmy family. It is my duty to you and your family. Take it."

| stared up at him, shaking my head. | tried to find the words, but they wouldn't come. Just as | had an idea, a

knock sounded on the door.

"Your Majesty, it's me."

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