The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 7

CH7

Morgan

My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs as | debated whether to run or not. Did he recognize me?

Was he here to forceback? If he was, would | survive it the second time?

My blood ran cold when our eyes met. What should | do? His gaze drifted over me, taking in my wet clothes, and

he set the clipboard down. Every muscle in my body tensed, ready to bolt. But he smiled and bowed his head.

"Your Majesty, a pleasure to see you..." His voice was surprisingly gentle. His eyes were bright and excited. |

stayed where | was, wondering how he knew who | was given the makeshift hood and veil.

"| suppose... you will want to speak about your relative's care?"

"Why are you here?" | managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

He sighed, turning back toward my brother.

"I work here, Your M-"

"Cut the shit," I hissed.

He shook his head and turned back to me, his gaze holding a strange mix of weariness and.... pleading?

"We... we're not what you think, Morgan. The Trial is... more complicated than you think."

| narrowed my eyes at him.

"Visitor hours are-"

"It's alright," he said to the nurse behind me. "I'm making an exception for her. I'll escort her out when we're

done."

| heard her shuffle away. | closed the door behind me. Before | could speak, a pang of hunger twisted in my

stomach. | winced at the pain. It had been three weeks since the Trial in my realm and barely a day in the other.

Either way, it had been too long since I'd eaten. "I'd be honored to give you my meal," he said, nodding towards

the bag sitting on the rolling table. "You must be hungry."

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"And you?"

A sad smile touched his lips. "Human food does little for my appetite. Keeping our queen strong. however, could

go a long way toward fixing that."

| frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

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"Eat, and we'll talk. Please?"

| approached the side of the bed and looked down at my brother. He was pale, but he seemed to be breathing

fine.

The doctor opened the bag and handedhis lunchbox and utensils. The scent of rice hit my nose, and before |

realized it, | was devouring the food as he continued to make notes on his clipboard.

"For lack of a better word, every person involved with the Trials on this side is trapped here. We

have been since the last queen died and the veil closed." | sat back, eyeing him.

He looked exhausted.

Trial,

"If... there were any other way besides finding another queen, we wouldn't have to do the Tri but both sides of

the veil are desperate to have it open again."

measures.

| looked down at the lunch. The beef and rice were delicious. My stomach stopped rumbling, and my initial

wariness was replaced by a wave of unexpected sympathy. Trapped, starving, and seemingly helpless-I could

understand why they would resort to such drastic | looked back at my brother.

"I didn't know."

"No one did. It has made it easier to blend in. We age slowly, move around from town to town to keep suspicions

down."

"How are you still surviving if you aren't really... sustained by human food?"

"A very small magical garden to help. It's getting smaller by the day?" He sighed. "We are carried forward more

by the hope that we will be reunited with our families one day."

| nodded slowly.

"Who is this boy to you?"

He nodded. "Then, the woman, Adele, must be your mother."

"Ahe gave birth to me

His lips twitched "And Coro?"

"My father's brother."

He nodded again. "They coften. It it is any consolation, they both seem more worn down every tthey

come. They're the only two who visit him."

| noddest "That's... to be expected. He's their kid."

He shook his head. "Well, Your Majesty-"

"It's Morgan

Ms. Ryuyama, then. Rumor has it that they've taken up odd jobs to pay for his care."

Good. At least Goro was holding up his end of the bargain, | looked up at the doctor. "What's your name?"

He smiled, seemingly charmed. "Ael, though in this town, | am called Eri."

"Thank you for looking after my brother, Ael." | continued to eat. "What else can you tell me? About my family?

About Hiro?"

"There is a good chance that your brother's care will stop at the end of this month as they have already been

behind on the payments for the past three weeks. I've been told that your family's business is in danger of

collapse as well as it has no working capital." "So it's true..." Despair threatened to engulf me. Ryuyama Silks

and Tailoring had been part of the family for generations. They said that we used to dress the imperial family. |

looked down at the bundle of wet fabric in my arms.

probably pure instinct not to leave the robes behind as the fabric could easily be

repurposed. | took a deep breath.

"Could we stop off at wherever they take payments first?"

He blinked and nodded. He

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grabbed his bag, took the empty container, and ledback downstairs. When |

got there, | gave them the information to my bank account to pay the past due

balance for Hiro's care and up through the end of the month.

My heart felt a bit relieved, knowing that | had a little more tto figure out what to do going forward. |

followed Ael out of the hospital. | walked out the front door with Ael and stood under the front entrance's ning

Istening to the rain. the

1k Rumbe said, breaking the silence. "Do you plan to open the veil again? Let everyone

return home

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My head snagged up. "Me?"

He nodded. "You passed through the vell with ease, but it is still closed to the rest of us..."

He looked up and toward the mountains. "The change in the mountains has given us a lot of hope, but...

"I have no idea how to control sgiant magical curtain."

He chuckled and looked down at me. "If... given the chance, would you?"

| blinked. "I feel for you, I do. You seem nice, but what good would that do any of us?"

He bit his lip, and the light in his eyes changed. "If you opened the veil, your brother would have a

much better chance."

| went still forward, knowing he was probably manipulatingand not caring.

"What do you mean?"

"Our realm's medicine is eons more advanced than here. There are healers-doctors-in our realm who could brew

a remedy for your brother's coma, and he would wake within a few days perfectly healthy."

3 eyes stung with tears. Hope made my heart clench. Was he telling the truth? | had no idea, but Tneeded to

know.

1 met his gaze. "Then, | need to see your library and crack that curtain."

Ael's face split into a relieved smile, and he pulled out his umbrella and handed it to me.

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CH7

"Then, let us get going."

Chapter Comments

Rhonda Gibson

Is he a doctor or a guard? Confusing!?!

Parker

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| think he's both. A Doctor day to day, and a guard for the Trials, when they occur. He's clearly not human...

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