The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 66

CH66

Tsuneo

As the last of the revelers departed, the palace grounds fell quiet. | floated us back to the ground and we headed

inside with Kai still curled up in my arms. The magic of the festival seemed distant as we walked to where the

servants had set up a room for Kai

It was right next to the room Morgan and | shared, and it setat ease. | didn't want him far from us in case he

needed something.

We entered the room, and | watched as Morgan tucked the child into bed. The way she interacted with him, the

case with which she commanded his trust, filledwith warmth. We slipped out of the room and headed down

the corridor to our shared quarters, not saying a word. We nodded to the guard by our door. | pushed the door

open for her and closed it behind us.

She turned to me, her eyes filled with a question. "How about a bath?"

| grinned. "Absolutely"

We headed into the bathing chamber. | helped her out of her jewelry before letting her step

ep into h sighed at the warm water hitting my shoulders.

'Morgan?"

her private stall. | entered my own, moments later and

"I think we should talk."

""About Kai's father, or.

We can start with Ar..."

| searched my mind, thinking of a way to start. Inmediately | was nervous, just as nervous as | had been at the

dinner table. There was no way | could confirm Morgan's thoughts of that asking her. But | thought that she

might think that | actually slept with Ari. That car might actually be mine. Turned my stomach. Never mind that |

knew it wasn't true. It was just the fact that | didn't know how she felt about it was a problem. | had. no idea

what humans thought about children, of their partners from other relationships. But for a dragon noble,

especiallyas the Crown Prince, it would be untenable to have a child with s| who was not already my

concubine. "She's lying. Kai isn't mine."

Yes, | know that"

| blanked, stunned, wanting to lean around and look her in her face. But | held back, remembering that she was

completely naked.

"You know that? you believe that?"

| know that. You're not the tto hide something like that. And if you had any interest in Ari, you would have

said something, knowing that she's been around all this time. It didn't take much to figure out that she's

delusional and clearly wants you, whether that's genuine affection or ambition, obsession or scombination

of it all, I don't care. You're not even giving her the tof day... | know what your interest looks like."

Her tone turned almost embarrassed, bashful.

"But aside from all that, isnt subtle enough or patient enough to hold a trump card like that for so long. If there

was even a chance that Kai could be yours, she would have been queen long before you even woke up, and

she'd probably hateeven more because she would've been ousted."

"Ousted!"

"You heard Kai. She gets burned all the time. Him having an heir, supposedly, wouldn't have changed the fact

that the Veil still wasn't opening. It would have just solid find your place as crown prince and Keiji would have

likely tried to kill Ari and Kai before 1 had even gotten here. Your father would have had to carry out the Trial of

Fire anyway. | would have ended up here, and | would have been made queen because | passed through the

Trial"

| was stunned by her faith and more than a litt

a little aroused by her cunning.

"To really like to take you to bed tonight."

CHM

She yelped | heard something squeak as if she'd slipped before the wall shook. My heart lurched

"Morgan, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm quite fine. | just slipped a bit. Please refrain from saying such things while I'm in the shower?"

| laughed. "Does that mean you'll letor...

"It means we share a bed anyway, stop being ridiculous."

"Surely you know that's not what | meant..."

"...I know, but not tonight."

| smirked at that. | suppose it would be poor form to cinto court tomorrow, walking on air."

She laughed. "It would at least be terrible strategy."

| smiled turning off the water before stepping out to grab a towel. | sank into the potioned bath with a deep sigh.

"Have you ever thought about having children?" | asked, my voice barely audible.

"Not once."

"How is that possible?"

"| spent most of my youth looking after my younger brother and the other children in our family, our town. | was

the heir. | was raised that way, and 1 took the role seriously. Honestly, | never even thought about being married

either, but here | am. Being a mother, in the traditional sense, never really

appealed to me."

I nodded. 'l ser

"Why do you ask?"

"You seemed natural with Kai, but | see now that it was just from experience."

I've been where he stood, and | hated it. | couldn't help but think, how nice it would have been to have just

someone-anyone- reach out and takeout of those situations."

Givea compassionate. Many wouldn't have bothered,"

...will you tellabout it?

She sighed and turned off the water. "Maybr

"Maybe later. What about you? Have you ever thought about it?"

| hesitated, unsure how to respond.

"| wont be offended if you say yes... Morgan cout wrapped in her robe. | held on my hand to help her into

the bathtub

the bathtub. She sank down beside me.

sumeone

It is not an easy answer... | know what is expected of me. | sighed. "I don't see in myself or in the dragon in me.

The space in my heart for selse.

It was the safest answer, but it wasn't untrue.

Having Morgan now madethink that it was actually the reason | never considered children.

Is that normal for dragons?

Tiguane | was a silly question, knowing how many concubines your father has...

CH66

"No, it was not. You know so little about dragons. And a lot of people don't understand the nuances..."

"Nuances? Are you tellingthat he's fundamentally different from you? Not just on the basis of his

personality?"

"You misunderstand..." 1 searched

my mind for the words for it. It was

an odd thing to explain to a human. "Our personalities, our choices, our talents, are heavily influenced by the

type of dragon we are."

“Are you saying that you could explain keiji's nonsense because of the color of his scales?"

| paused for a moment, thinking it over. "Yes, actually."

She shuddered and drew closer to me. "Don't explain it to me.

"There are... limitations, of course. There is a difference between instinct and the lack of morality, but they are

connected..."

A wry smile crept across my face.

"My father is a golden dragon," |

explained, "known for their

benevolence and kind heart. There are oceans of space in his heart for many hence why he has so many

concubines, so many children... So many subjects. Over which he can rule fairly."

and you?"