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 talking to
handmaiden or
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ask for
and more. Is
smirked. "You have sharp instincts. Technically,
cousin."
why isn't she a lady instead
he said. "Her mother
hummed. "I'd been banking on her being your
meet them soon enough, other than
his deal? First, he's hitting on me, then he's insulting me." I glanced
family." He sounded amused. "To be fair,
way I can
tell you?" He smirked.. "And it's the least of your
read my
once upon
darkness."
shook my head. "That have something
father's first consort. He is younger than me and resentful of me being chosen as the next heir. I am
- nower:
to the
health. 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
think I want to know what would cause the destruction of a room during birth, but glad to hear I won't be expected to... produce
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He went still.
no desire for
www
sat back, wondering what answer to give him. I hadn't ever 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 I married, he would essentially be head of the family. I remember telling my father that I'd pass
..
a desire
him. "Get out of my
"I cannot."
my head. "It
His eyes were
desire. His hands shook, suspended in the air between us as if he wanted to touch me. Did he? He licked his
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