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
"You've been
my handmaiden or
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could not ask for someone
about it... more and more. Is Maya... related
"You have sharp instincts. Technically, she
cousin."
she a lady instead
"Her mother and mine were
banking on
meet them soon enough,
insulting me." I glanced over at him, holding back
think such behaviors run in the family." He
a way I can keep you
smirked.. "And it's the least of your
read my
once upon a time, but not since
darkness."
have something to do with his
me being chosen as the next heir. I am sure that Maya told you that it's rare
- nower:
due to the
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
cause the destruction of a room during birth,
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He went still.
have no
www
thought about it. I was a woman and Their to the family. It was expected that either I'd have a child to succeed me or choose someone to do so, and if
..
never had a desire
scowled at him. "Get out of my
"I cannot."
"It hardly
His eyes were
soft grunt escaped him. I looked up, startled by the sound. blazing with desire. His hands shook, suspended in
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