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."
looked up at him. "By having
"You've been talking
handmaiden
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not ask
been thinking about it... more and more. Is
sharp instincts. Technically, she
cousin."
I blinked. "And why isn't she a lady instead of
choice," he said. "Her mother and mine
"I'd been banking on
them soon enough, other
on me, then he's insulting me." I glanced over at him, holding back the words
in the family." He sounded amused. "To
way I can keep you out
you?" He smirked..
read my
once upon a time, but not since his scales
darkness."
shook my head. "That have something to do
is younger than me and resentful of me being chosen
- nower:
due 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
shuddered at the thought. "I don't think I want to know what would cause the destruction of a room during birth,
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He went still.
have no
www
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,
..
had a desire
at him. "Get out of
"I cannot."
shook my head. "It hardly
His eyes were
in the air between us as if he wanted to touch me.
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