The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 12

The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

CH12 Tsunco

Seeing her in such pain set an ache in my chest. It had been shocking, but the way her mind had exploded with grief and rage when I'd broken the sword had unlocked the depths of her mind to me, leaving me breathless. I saw the charred bodies of the women who had gone before her. It was so vivid 1 could almost smell the scent of burning flesh. I could taste her fear and feel my heart

grave, and racing the way hers had when she was brought up to the podium. I saw an older man, a grave, a young boy who lay in bed, pale as death and unmoving. I saw paintings of young women carrying the sword.

My father had commissioned the sword as a gift to the Ryuyama family for their daughter's skilled work on my mother's coronation robe. I remember playing with the golden chord she wore around her waist when I was a child. It was the one piece of her coronation garb that she always wore.

I watched her face, every shifting emotion in her eyes, and the way her emotions swelled and gushed forward. I heard ringing bells, screaming a warning. I saw a woman's face staring at her in shock. Who was she? I saw another older man sitting in front of a room with people facing him. The room reminded me of the throne room of my youth. She was furious and hurt. The memory

felt sharp with her emotions.

Slowly, her emotions ebbed, and her mind came to the forefront. The images faded, but I could hear her thoughts.

Why does it matter? I can't get out of here.

"No," I whispered. "You can't... and neither can I."

She blinked. I took a deep breath and met her gaze.

"Every Dragon King's queen has been chosen through the Trial of Fire. It marks you and me just the same. You could return to the human realm and never return, but you would be bound to me

until the day you died... You would seemingly cease to age and watch your family grow old and fade to memory. It is not a fate we would have placed on a human, especially not one with family if we had any other choice."

I met her gaze. "Again, I am sorry. There may never be a time when you can forgive anything that has been done, but I hope you can at least understand that it has been a choice of necessity, not spite."

She swallowed. Her lips trembled, and it took everything in me to stay where I was. Her scent was pulling me in, making me dizzy. The anger of earlier had turned to a low burning heat in me.

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CH12

She sniffled and looked away. Then, she looked up and past me. I assumed that Doctor Shang was

behind me.

it enough?"

from you, Your Majesty. It is my duty to serve you

whatever way I can."

don't believe in

and for a moment, I saw a little girl scrubbing a floor. It wasn't her,

me, but if it

and nodded

realm. The youngest imperial healer since your father?" Doctor Shang kneeled beside me, looking up at

pressed his hand to his chest. "I'll start reviewing the

have a treatment devised

weeks passed." Her voice

has the long."

murmured to himself.

stood. "I'll go now. Maya should be here soon. I would appreciate it if you'd let her get you cleaned up. I'll send

at me. "Will

"Why?"

he said. "He's more likely to cut his visit short if you are here, giving you...

and the shimmer of jade and green, the queen's privacy

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red light of the sky started to fade, turning that shimmering blue

us, bit by bit. How could a human woman be embraced so

breath

and closed her eyes. "My father was murdered by

you?" She nodded. "Why didn't

My

in the accident that killed my father... They'd planned for it

have been a matter

want to be the head of a family of snakes. Goro had already decided to send me..." She looked up, and another tear streamed down her face. "The summoning is probably why he decided to kill him so messily." My stomach twisted

"And... this Ren?"

me

tried not to wince, feeling foolish. I pushed my hand through my hair

"Mizuki is Goro's daughter."

you're nothing a