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."
I 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."
I cocked an eyebrow. "Mystic words that mean nothing to me other than seeming important."
He tapped a journal. "Perhaps reading will educate you, then."
I 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 I knew my mother, and she told me many stories about how she came to settle in her power as queen."
I looked down at the journals. "Will you tell me about her?".
"What do you want to know?"
I 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
"I believe that happiness in tion was complicated," he said. "She stirred a lot of
controversy."
at him. "By having the
smirked. "You've been talking to
my handmaiden or
1/4
CH15
could not ask for someone
and more. Is Maya... related
sharp instincts. Technically,
cousin."
blinked. "And why isn't she a
"Her mother and
banking on her
chuckled. "You'll meet them soon enough, other
First, he's hitting on me, then he's insulting me." I glanced over at him, holding back the words that
run in the family." He sounded amused. "To be fair, you are not
way I can keep you out of
I tell you?" He smirked.. "And it's
others read
might have been able to once upon a time, but
darkness."
have something
asked about Keiji. He is the son of my father's first consort. He is younger than me and resentful of me being chosen as the next heir. I am sure that Maya told you that it's rare for the queen to birth
- nower:
due to the
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
at the thought. "I don't think I want to know what would cause the destruction of a room during birth, but glad to
2/4
CH15
He went still.
have no desire
www
family. It was expected that either I'd have a child to succeed me or choose someone to do so, and if I married, he
..
a desire to
scowled at him. "Get out of my
"I cannot."
head. "It
His eyes were
in the air between us as if
T1I1m3OT1tcAYRTvsrH1St3UF5gjbpUjyKgZtPuVO+jevJqC6Tv5mx9eYscIeHjbdX52q4YKBp2OcdoljPMco1bCV34vmhWtSf7AoiAVw3l0LWWUT+3aKgKlJIakbvC4uOyBaBZ1DC6YKduMWAm+4tlQAbd3xJJsdSFtksluMwZ6CPcpRySXdONXmePgyZSD9XIcn8vPFntsnx6NzKI1ANkI3hjfqyWvgWV7Tth1cVy8cUBsxiA0TYG20uCjrcjLEQ8MD9OyGLuSpWkrOUN7l/7RdANm+W00urcn+Qrlz05aw2mi0poCeM1WS8pHjUWXKc+/w5Pu+Kqfh3g2Xyus97jGLgTNWmMBDc4BBNXXuuhYh4fGy8FpxkxtMLlrm7DV2qSGJD6BBmapxiXhRXD0n2+GZDkxSuvW8P7s04cjO4WlYz742CWmQNivMb6tXI9pmEUBp0UPI2IfhJxWyUKVXWeEGHtBX0wIwWR1jIMz8r3aeIUbWWz6LhzA18WYveErYFgltqbgHVPxGP5ROzGbsCSifSK7NwIRm7z9f3fhvKRkDJyqaVSmW9lKjcYAsQ7+LJSqAL4pagvpUDTGNarpeSkiUBndoHlO0ksLfgKM5zy6298vM+ixVpU4Tr681/b83/sLT+Y5kdJH7UgX3H4EHcME1GUOZd2b6hkx8lKEKhSStwl/6Fba9Y/vatvJFZVz2N++IbFjimhpyuBqu/b9aApE4qWNJt0jSjltDm2YLxoxTbL94AIPxlmOdkgKPa1Z08C+EX67Z/E5my/HLybylINnAeyuX43ZXVmS2IHhn8BCrook2CzVGfWnvxzxg98f09gtJHBgANegpE+SbkfSz/0SLDMIqBVposceAXyaEAAWw2EIm3mfHqGRXQRAL4S2en8tuQzg6obOLcoAICHKiksn+x0PJCoan70FuFe4ZYyMma+hRdKPu4M0rOClVfm7UM715aWZzUweC0X61shSLHajgAtbcw/Y99FUaExKvwg0tjjONqp6p6C34UlDhye0SyA1TEBDWAPz7BBuEPdPCqA+jm7M2Ojz8VRh3hhGZBd4koMXsExjsf9YgO4NTj00s3Mqu2fPAYiBRycoy0cq0kAkkWHSnZSTdpa9P5k4dDF+HSuYWctuj0H8wAqFshcGwUy+qM66YC/q+PfCZK65gSd11LOKh0RVcR3uv9aaavrz9mmMwYSTk+ETJx5Al+P6i/TWFTLCPXCfqijjX2vxfSSdGkBCnBYeJ3d7/faF7oWh5p+6p4ahgLKePcJexgMv3kSzy4j33fEOcnFTKZBR/P1ei9WMHC6qpzTFaLm/oBouMBqAp1J2tV+9F4+8NLTWnxUTIttHzfhJbnGFCMFSPmvIuHJWShhFy91qJQ2lqJSjwzI6lO/SpqRevFVKRoKeANKZyxfxeFWVEazJrStVwg/Fm3vXzsVpqZopFmF46uzaMq5cgsAgxfW2zUoxpACCVHkYcktXvNdBokPyHMERpDpGU37cieLAfTyHVzMhUhviMtOBOMap39iYbtgvu93th/a8GzH889GLpfM+/HXZ7QmZGD/o1eFFnImOZatFGJ6v0CmPfs5ZlP1V8QPFHBweMM0GTuKdUj6Yf/EYHcJG/l7caaUu7uCWzySe9KJwiEMuzNKCb9XBQA3OaePtV1xopoTQDDqXoMcfmd5p9HHpCs90Au+kfIc7qO1SN6Ovg4GDAAAC2tswuhZuAldVrY/nyHqFVV1Cl9NbxVotUOLIvEqtkhqWKlRwrDS60BDFKIQZIBIPOoEsczw2Ui9HECfiCFb6+tX0vBkFbYEKgXK6SgimHqX4jgxVo74A60Sk+NGS07flmOKIP696+oEip6LweQwUWy7YtA0R5V7kiFotvM5IW4f1VbsvmPbRGjzlLWfaeKoSpBO9JbV84/mJJDJstIJjHGK186cNRtQ8QQSfrIFpf1tv+GGawwhomnFzlLQq7wHonBkdNKE4bOzH07Lh2HCm2Z/xBA2JHMdvi3SdxbNuyxRsGkgLhoeS5zo0lcJekTp+dArIQpl6grj56VLS+V0MIoQ2mNqdyITnlpYOntEIvp/ih0Z13VYANx8J6lcc7WcasHxyNsJl4I0lIZ16Q+2EUXAIue1UOi39S7DiEDgIzsFbt8quHfLzJ+4ZDopODVO8FYHz+0P3WiLuh84vU1fKdr3cWLrreFvwNx92gdak9jWHwX02UBh9U742fEapMkcLThpaM8S0KPbDDTvF5IOUSSwRMewkMZMuY7EtG9whOL4uTGRSITxJJ+8wEhh/EWTeWnLEmd2O7BMo1UCTNJRyCjbQMnZaSdkdGR0l7oqGYeMOrHa35Hu1rvLGh3Y+aUzB8myeGExDDhfzCMvcsCvO/3MsXn5W5yJunKeVymTSRQeoSj6g5tOsoGAMcJtD54EMRcCHAidP/EEYPegLF5E1FPS10/6vUg42hf7p+/NGizVujQawnPkgZVffthe1Gw8ahZdkmaQ/dVr9Rm/0KVvctJBTzPGh6GyD3NkOxnZdmUUu7IE56UUGCZLiXa75R+6U+gfxC7KGOt9PvyIboq5cOi02cOHTkYryaPQyeRDLIhAyJw7ZWu/dDuTAicLdA5Bm5hhUag2ct2cX9VBS1WI+sERIPV+xPkGd3+WJr2cki1vcTE7c2l38u1PjluRW5FV0QX65xvLRngtNAvRAteFs9FEEx1cyqpITl+NtpG1c6uASfZnWkEdyimS3YPsR2PQAo99dGTzUn+onH/2u3vkv4jSqYOtWCjzuIQZ1YgTc8ksfL9ZgFmpJh3EnBeb1htHagJpN/9eZeZI+5G41HiYOfThNtu94I83Vwd0C4ymNOPw1H8ul1pFvBB/KWu3x0VyQvmqJ3ur2N5YUoO5DtYYMj9wp02O7FfEml9//8afkZXW96uDrUplGREHV0RCNgjcTb4DuIPfew4NU/PRFR1GP+UiNuTnynRkjrVfylAghDgz3GBpmbrF84ptipE0clVnI14u2sjWob43KiiV3kjflFPOCHQZuZTJuaSCGqG3+6X5tCraxVMojrZnHEt/Ft20TkjzgK7IX32NdkfbHlyWW/kP1BHYdqSVgzO02eEkMV99/8uXH8xEokYsNXZrKEPSp1LoWynnW87l/uPRpmZWGCs16p/cAbVHyJBZyUH6WrzLDyvYjXt0cD/oC0tI/tT652G2s1iBGLCufMSCZb/Ykchy5HjHWAQEZjMAbvPEweUJEPFQfO+xvdODgX1GDPCXWGyL/tDNs14n5jbmMSPNoBF4QftYm3/7EWozfW+gOqYi3BN5KE8ylw6Yxtu1nCCkVw/1logPDtszVhb/Db47xlyzadHjCbtdEG3k/K4KooXOcapKk1mXYPNhl04WaPIKFCdqxIA1E6T5d8ReQKw+C5Kb5JfVsBkHiTymiTVQQB2g/pYd0LPvbY/F24P0yXhiOCg0Py35F+iV8Y/P2kxCufg+IiriA4AFyt7Z/q9hm/qTzqbyrvWegjJ+mSdU3P9apbzljsiP26UYlYQjfZBN15aidc1+naO8IYtu+iGmMqxhFjnt1wIv7Duk8kh6aRPmcNEM0TtcDlt6uYFCEdKDvWan8mhZXX+UhoiITM15t/4SUanMw+zGBWl6pu2JnEbCfOJ2f6amHX+va94ccwtaqht4aUZYzTf4NQ2lZ0z3ozhsmS8sPf1rB79bEwTpH/X7hiCPDtgSyYrkG9HONOqXDNEJVddzUq98TF6mEw3svGihWlfGKJyFJv/3Jam8OrnY+R6ZifTpXHe09faPFSPk15w0adfSb+yFIJohYLomg3LD8mhySANeCVeb7TNrvudvNPhRpKZ0epa0Mi+uq9u7O
The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!