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."
him.
smirked. "You've been
handmaiden
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CH15
not ask for someone
about it... more and more. Is Maya... related to
smirked. "You have sharp
cousin."
why isn't she a lady
said. "Her mother
"I'd been banking on her being your
chuckled. "You'll meet them soon
hitting on me, then he's insulting me." I glanced over at him, holding back the words that
family." He sounded amused.
I can keep you out of my
He smirked.. "And it's the least of
others read
have been able to once upon a time, but not since
darkness."
"That have something to do
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
- nower:
to the risk
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
to know what would cause the destruction of a room during birth, but glad to hear I won't be expected to...
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CH15
He went still.
no
www
a child to succeed me or choose someone to do so, and if I married,
..
had a
"Get out
"I cannot."
shook my head. "It
His eyes were
up, startled by the sound. blazing with desire. His hands shook, suspended in the
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